Bellbrook council introduces 1.3-mill, five-year general fund levy for infrastructure and services

The Bellbrook City Council voted to introduce Ordinance 2026-O-06, a proposed five-year renewal levy described in the ordinance reading as 1.3 mills to fund general fund purposes including stormwater management and interior infrastructure projects. City Manager Rob read the ordinance title and an overview to the council and public.

Rob said the levy "shall be 1.3 mills, and shall run for a period of 5 years," and described it as a renewal rather than a new levy. He said the auditor's office recently provided confirmed calculations that staff will use to project the revenue the levy will yield and that ballot language will present the measure as a renewal with the same homestead exemptions and rollback/ reduction factors in place.

Council members had no substantive discussion before the roll-call vote to introduce the ordinance. The introduction motion passed on a roll-call vote with all members voting in the affirmative. According to the reading, staff will bring clarifying calculations and a public-hearing schedule at a subsequent meeting before the measure proceeds to a ballot or referendum process.

Why this matters: renewal levies determine local revenue available for everyday municipal services, stormwater upkeep and interior street or facility projects. The council's introduction of the ordinance starts the public-notice and hearing process required before voters see the levy language.

The council did not adopt the levy at this meeting; they introduced it and set the public hearing to occur after staff finalizes the projected revenue figures.