Bowling Green City Council adopts resolution urging support for May 6 school operating levy after heated debate

Bowling Green City Council voted to adopt Resolution 3,880, a resolution expressing the council’s support for the Bowling Green School District operating levy on the May 6 ballot, after extended discussion and a failed attempt to amend the resolution’s language.

The resolution, introduced at the meeting’s second-reading block, says the council “recognizes and respects each citizen’s responsibility to research and vote accordingly” and urges voters to support the operating levy. Councilmembers debated whether the resolution should explicitly direct voters to cast a “yes” vote; a proposed amendment to soften that direction failed in a roll-call vote before the final adoption.

Councilmember Bill Robinette urged strong language in support of the levy, saying the measure is essential to economic development and to retaining families and businesses in Bowling Green. “The only way for this levy to succeed is to vote for it, and that’s exactly what I did this morning,” Robinette said. Councilmember Dennis, who also spoke at length, described his long involvement in the levy campaign and said, “I certainly plan to vote yes.”

Opponents of the amendment argued the council should respect voters’ independent research. One councilmember who spoke against the amendment said the language in section 2, which asks citizens to research the issue before voting, conflicted with section 3’s directive to vote for the levy; that speaker voted on the final resolution in favor because of the encouragement to research the measure.

The resolution passed on a roll-call vote at the meeting. The council set a public reminder that voting locations are open this week with hours at the Wood County Courthouse. The resolution does not change the ballot or levy language; it is a statement of the council’s position.

The measure the council supported is the operating levy appearing on the May 6, 2025 ballot for the Bowling Green School District. The resolution text and the council’s debate focused on the levy’s relationship to economic development, student programming and the district’s long-term budget stability.

Councilmembers who led the discussion emphasized the practical stakes of a levy failure for families and local employers. Councilmember Dennis, referencing residents who cannot move or open-enroll their students elsewhere, said lower-income families would likely bear the brunt of any service reductions if the levy fails.

The council’s action was limited to adopting a statement of support; no change was made to ballot language or district tax rates by the city council.

Looking ahead, council members encouraged residents to review levy materials and to vote during the local early-voting window at the Wood County Courthouse.