Sheriff and park director urge voters to renew anti‑drug levy and county park levy

Two county officials spoke at the Kiwanis candidates night to ask Medina-area voters to support renewal measures on the Nov. 4 ballot.

The sheriff urged voters to renew the county’s anti‑drug levy, which he described as a renewal, not a new tax. The sheriff said the current levy funds the county drug task force and partially funds the county’s school resource officers, and cited collection metrics in millage: “Currently, it's a point $3.05 mil levy that's collecting at point $2.02 mils, which generates a little bit over 1 point, $8,000,000,” he said. He added that the levy helps fund 13 school resource officers across district partners and the county drug task force, and cited reductions in local overdose rates over the last five years. The sheriff said the levy equates to about $7.08 per $100,000 of assessed value and gave the example that on a $500,000 house it would amount to about $34.40 for the renewal period.

Nathan Eppink, director of the Medina County Park District, urged support for the park district’s renewal and a quarter‑mill increase. He said the park district manages roughly 9,000 acres — about 3% of Medina County — and operates 24 park areas and 60 trails. Eppink told the audience the park district has no permanent funding and that the current levy, approved in 2015, will expire in 2026, so the district sought a renewal with a quarter‑mill increase on the Nov. 4 ballot. Using auditor-certified estimates, Eppink said the proposal would cost approximately $31 per $100,000 of valuation (about $62 on a $200,000 property and about $155 on a $500,000 property) and said the funds pay for land protection, trail maintenance and park services across 16 of the county’s 17 townships.

Both speakers framed the measures as renewals intended to preserve services and resources; neither item was voted on at the Kiwanis forum.