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Board member and superintendent explain levy process ahead of May 5 Solon City ballot; staff offer outreach
Summary
A board member walked through the statutory steps to place the district's 6.9-mill levy on the May 5 ballot, explaining county certification, taxpayer cost-per-$100,000 computation and the effect of House Bill 920; the superintendent offered to meet with residents and provide certified documents.
A Solon City board member and the superintendent used the March 16 meeting to walk residents through the statutory steps that lead to a levy appearing on the ballot and to answer questions about a proposed 6.9-mill levy scheduled for May 5.
The board member explained that the district’s first formal step is passing a resolution specifying the millage amount and sending it to the county auditor or fiscal office for certification. "The fiscal office then typically has about a 10 business day turnaround time to officially send back the certification to the school district stating that this levy will generate x amount of revenue," the board member said, adding that the county also certifies how much the levy will cost a taxpayer per $100,000 of market value. He emphasized that "it would be illegal for us to determine" the taxpayer-cost figure; the county produces that certification.
The board member described the effect of House Bill 920, saying it reduces the effective rate so that certified annual revenue does not grow over time. He used the county’s certified example figure for this levy — cited in the meeting as $242 per $100,000 of market value — and urged residents to consult the county’s certified document for exact figures. The speaker offered to meet with residents individually and said he would provide the underlying state and county documents for transparency: "These are the facts, period. You can videotape me. You can record me."
Superintendent remarks at the same meeting included outreach and community announcements: nine Solon City students were named U.S. Presidential Scholar candidates; Shari Despandi won a state title in informative speaking; Solon Middle School won state MathCounts and will send a team to the national competition in Orlando; Solon High School won the state chess championship; and junior Samantha Singleton won two state athletic titles in the same weekend. The board also announced arts and service items, including Solon High School’s Little Mermaid performances April 16–19 and a Harvest for Hunger collection through March 18 for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.
The board member and superintendent urged residents with questions about the levy or the county certification to contact district staff; the board confirmed the documents certified by Kyhoga County are public records and available for inspection.
