By Lance Mihm
lmihm@dailystandard.com ST. MARYS -- A resolution placing a 0.5 percent income tax renewal on the May ballot was given a first reading Monday by St. Marys city council members.
Funds generated from the current levy are used for capital improvements in the city, Safety-Service Director Mike Weadock said. The levy originally was passed in 1985 and renewed in 1995. Weadock said the levy must be placed back on the ballot every 10 years for approval by voters.
"It's not a new levy," he said. "This money has helped with a lot of improvements in the city. We will try to relay to the public what we have done with that money prior to the election."
The current levy expires June 1 and generates about $1.2 million annually.
Police cruisers are usually purchased from funds generated from the levy. Street work that has recently been performed from the funds includes North Wayne, Jackson and North Main streets. The city also has a permanent 1 percent income tax used for operating expenses.
Council approved an emergency ordinance authorizing Weadock to enter agreements with Arcades-FPS out of Toledo.
The engineering firm will evaluate the city's sanitary sewer system, including looking at sewage rates, improvements to the existing plant and the design of a new treatment plant.
"This is a state-required process if you are possibly going to build a new plant," Weadock said. "We had been planning this for some time and we had taken several proposals."
The city will compensate FPS based on each project, and a dollar amount has not been set. |
