Lorain City board approves placing two levy renewals on fall ballot

The Lorain City School Board voted July 14 to place two levy renewals before district voters: a renewal of the existing 23.85-mill current expense levy and a renewal of an existing emergency levy.

Board members and staff emphasized the measures are renewals and not increases in the district's total authorized revenue. A staff member explained that the 23.85 figure listed on the agenda is the original levy amount and "is not actual millage," noting that as property values rise the district reduces the percentage charged so it does not collect more than the dollar amount originally approved.

The explanation aimed to clarify millage for residents, whom board members said commonly misunderstand the term. "Millage is a percent of property value," the staff member told the board, adding that because property values have grown since the levies were first approved, the effective millage will be lower and the renewals would not increase the district's total receipts.

Both resolutions passed on voice/roll-call votes. The current expense renewal (agenda item 8.05) passed unanimously by roll call: Dr. Ballard, Mrs. Nazario, Mr. Ferguson, Mrs. Washington and Mr. Sturgill voted yes. The emergency levy renewal (agenda item noted later) also passed by roll call with the same recorded yes votes.

The board did not specify the exact legal citations beyond noting the renewals were "as allowed by law." The measures will be placed before voters; election timing and ballot language were not specified in the meeting record.

Why this matters: Levy renewals determine whether the district continues to collect a set dollar amount approved by voters in prior years. Board members and staff framed the measures as continuity of funding, not a new tax burden.

The board did not set a public outreach schedule in the meeting; next steps are to publish the formal ballot language and election date, which will determine the timeline for voter information and hearings.