Tallmadge board hears mixed public reaction to three levy options as officials warn of cuts

The Tallmadge Board of Education held a public work session on Jan. 14 to gather community input on three possible ways to raise local school revenue: a 5.6‑mill property levy, a 0.5% traditional base income tax and a 0.75% earned income tax. Vice President Chad Davis presented estimated revenue and household impacts and invited questions from residents.

“Between three choices, property, traditional income, or earned income taxes,” Chad Davis said, summarizing the options and who would be taxed under each model. Davis and district staff presented illustrative figures: a 5.6‑mill property levy would generate roughly $3.71 million; a 0.5% traditional base income tax would generate about $3.28 million; and a 0.75% earned income tax would generate about $3.7 million. The district used a median home value of about $220,000 and an average worker income of about $74,382 in those examples.

Board and staff framed the request as a response to two structural…