Coldwater voters pass school levy

COLDWATER - On the school district's third consecutive go at it, voters in the Coldwater Exempted Village Schools district comfortably passed a five-year additional traditional income tax of 0.5% during Tuesday's primary, which will bump the district's current 0.5% traditional income tax to 1%.

Unofficial election results show the levy passing by 942 to 685 votes, or with 58% of the vote.

In a statement to the newspaper, Superintendent Doug Mader said he was "thrilled" to announce the levy's passage.

"This milestone represents more than just a financial achievement; it reflects the trust, dedication, and collective commitment our community holds for Coldwater Schools and, most importantly, for our children," he said. "The passage of this levy is an essential step forward, and we are incredibly grateful for the support shown by the community."

The district's two previous levy attempts failed, most recently in the Nov. 5 general election, when a five-year, additional 0.5% traditional income tax failed by a mere 42 votes. Though that attempt was a much improved result from their first attempt in the March 2024 primary, when their proposed 1.75% earned income tax levy was defeated with 71% or 1,972 votes cast against it.

While Mader maintained he is "ecstatic" about what the passage means for Coldwater Schools, he added that it is important to acknowledge that the challenges the district faces remain significant.

"The needs - aging facilities, outdated instructional materials, and long-term financial pressures - still far exceed the revenue this levy will generate," Mader said. "For that reason, the district remains committed to being frugal, responsible and strategic in how these new funds are used."

Moving forward, Mader committed to "continuing to communicate transparently" as planning progresses and decisions are made regarding the use of levy funds.

"In collaboration with the Board of Education, a work session is planned for June to prioritize the district's next steps," he added. "That process will focus on stabilizing infrastructure, updating learning resources, and protecting Coldwater's long-term financial outlook."
Marion Local levy wins

Voters in the Marion Local School District handily passed a 1.8-mill permanent improvement levy renewal on Election Day.

In Mercer County, 262 ballots or 74.22% were cast for the levy and 91 against, according to Mercer County Board of Elections' unofficial results.

The school district also overlaps into Auglaize County, where 25 ballots were cast for the levy and seven against, and Darke County, where 36 ballots were cast for the levy and 31 against, according to those county's board of elections' unofficial results.

The five-year levy will generate $196,000 annually, according to treasurer Ryan Goldschmidt. Goldschmidt said funds from the levy are used for the upkeep of district property.

"On the behalf of the board of education, we want to thank the Marion Local community for their support with the passage of the permanent improvement renewal levy," superintendent Mike Pohlman told The Daily Standard. "We will continue to be good stewards of the money, and it will be used to maintain our facilities to provide a great educational experience for the children in our district."

Specifically, the funds can be used for "any capital projects, repairs and maintenance for our property and equipment that is designed to last five years or more," Pohlman had told the newspaper earlier this year.

The levy dates back to at least the 1980s. In 2014, the school board successfully passed a renewal of 1.5 mills and increase of 0.3 mills for the permanent improvement levy.

The increase at the time was intended to return the effective millage to 1.5 mills after a real estate reevaluation reduced to it 1.2 mills.

The permanent levy has remained at 1.8 mills since then.

Parkway levy wins

Voters passed a five-year 1% income tax levy renewal for Parkway Local Schools.

In Mercer County, the levy passed by 61.3%, or a vote of 122 to 77, according to unofficial election results.

In Van Wert County, the levy failed by 51.9% or a vote of 14 to 13, according to unofficial election results.

Auglaize County voters did not cast any ballots for the levy.

Board president Deb Call said she is "happy that voters decided to continue the levy."

The levy generates about $1.175 million annually.

- Daily Standard reporters William Kincaid and Erin Gardner contributed to this article.