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Parma City board declines to send levy measures to November ballot after split votes
Summary
After hours of public comment and a heated board exchange, the Parma City School District Board voted down two resolutions to request levy-rate estimates from the state tax commissioner, keeping levies off the November ballot; the board did approve a temporary suspension of the meeting's 30-minute public-comment limit.
The Parma City School District Board of Education on July 22 declined to request tax-commissioner rate estimates for proposed operating levies, voting down two separate resolutions after lengthy public comment and board debate.
Board members moved and debated Resolution 2026-07-339, described in the motion as "declaring it necessary to raise annually an amount for school district purposes and requesting the state tax commissioner to estimate the respective rates" by property tax or a school-district income tax. After discussion and roll call the motion failed. A second, similar measure (Resolution 2026-07-340) also failed on roll call later in the evening. President Miss Sebastian moved the measures; board members Miss Kerpich and Miss Sebastian voted in favor while Mister Reyes, Mister McKeown and Mister McCune voted no as recorded in the roll calls.
The vote came after roughly two hours of community testimony. Supporters urged the board to let voters decide in November; opponents and some board members urged more written, transparent planning before asking for new revenue. "There is no innovative way to raise money for a school district," Superintendent Doctor Hunt said during the meeting, urging voters to weigh either property or income tax options. "In 2029, we will be in fiscal emergency," he said, repeating a forecast that informed the administration's recommendation.
The board did pass an earlier motion to suspend the 30-minute public-comment rule for this meeting (Resolution 2026-07-338), allowing many speakers to address the board. The failure of the certification motions means the district will not send those levy measures to the county/state for November ballot consideration unless the board acts at a later date.
