Chillicothe council amends street-levy language, removes emergency clause and delays reading

Chillicothe City Council on Feb. 10 voted to amend language on a proposed 0.2% street-levy renewal so it will appear on the Nov. 4, 2025 general-election ballot and removed emergency language, then voted not to read the ordinance at the meeting.

The change was proposed by Councilman Creed, who moved to amend the levy’s language to set the election date to Nov. 4, 2025 and to remove emergency language. The motion passed on a roll call in which eight members voted yes and one member was excused. Council later voted, again by roll call, not to read the item that evening; that motion also carried with eight yes votes and one excused member.

Why it matters: The 0.2% levy proceeds are earmarked for streets and road improvements, and the amendment delays further council readings so a clean, amended text can be prepared for later consideration and public review.

Public comment before the votes included residents who both questioned and urged support for the renewal. Jason Link of 17 Mead Drive said he had requested “financial rationale from the mayor’s office about the point 2% renewal tax increase” and urged the council to consider whether spending priorities (he cited a recent $50,000 appropriation for the Humane Society and other discretionary expenditures) were consistent with asking taxpayers for more money. Link said, “That just seems a little incongruent to me” and recommended the council vote down the tax increase or not send it to voters.

Amy Van Voorhis of 281 Constitution Drive urged approval of the renewal, saying the levy “is placed and earmarked in a category all by itself and solely used for the city streets and road improvements.” Van Voorhis noted the levy helps match state grants and argued the city needs the funds given recent winter damage to roads.

Council procedure and next steps: Council members said they wanted a clean copy of the ordinance language and three full readings after the revision. At the meeting President Shoemaker and Councilman Creed said the amended language would return on a future agenda with the emergency clause removed so that the measure can proceed through the standard three-reading process before any final action or a voter referendum.

No formal vote on adopting the levy itself was taken at the Feb. 10 meeting; the council only amended the text and chose not to read the ordinance that evening.