Orange Community Education director outlines May 6 renewal levy, says it funds 20% of department budget

Jill Coro, director of Orange Community Education & Recreation, addressed Pepper Pike’s council to ask for help educating residents about a five‑year renewal levy on the May 6 ballot.

Coro said the levy has been on the ballot every five years since 1975 and has been a straight renewal since 1995. At the current renewal rate — in place since 1995 — she said the levy costs district residents about $28 per $100,000 of home value and generates roughly 20% of the department’s annual budget; participant fees provide the remaining 80 percent. She listed four facilities the levy helps maintain: the Orange Art Center, the Orange Senior Center, the outdoor pool and the Pepper Pike Learning Center.

Coro told council she researched local participation and found more than 7,800 registrations from Pepper Pike residents last year, describing Pepper Pike as a heavy base for their programs and urging the city to explain that although the ballot language references the Orange City School District as fiscal agent, the levy funds recreation operations and facility maintenance for the community education department, not K‑12 school operations.

Council members asked clarifying questions about whether senior transportation is included and about timing; Coro said the city contributes to senior transportation and that the current levy funding expires Dec. 31, 2025, which is why the department prefers the spring ballot. Coro closed by offering to answer further questions and provide materials to help the city inform voters.

Next steps: Coro asked council to help publicize the renewal and answer resident questions leading up to the May 6 vote.