MILLBURY – The Lake Township solicitor was the bearer of bad financial news at Tuesday’s meeting.
Tom Hays said the trustees should plan for the elimination of the state tangible personal property tax
and utility tax reimbursement.
The state eliminated the tax on personal property, such as production tools, and some utility taxes paid
to townships, Hays said. To lessen the impact, the state set up a reimbursement program that is phasing
out after 2018.
Last year, the state reimbursed the township 11.6 percent of its total resources, or $321,799. The
payments will fall $55,000 each year, except 2014.
"By 2017 it will be down to zero," Hays said.
Fiscal Officer Vicki Schwamberger said these taxes affect the general, police, fire and roads funds.
Another budget blow, Hays said, is the elimination of the estate tax. The township, he said, receives a
portion of Ohio’s tax on large estates. That tax is ending Dec. 13, 2013.
Hays said the money from the estate tax varies. It’s been as high as $100,000 one year.
"It depends on who died and, quite honestly, how much they are worth," he said.
Last year, Schwamberger said, the tax brought $20,000 into the township.
Trustee Chairwoman Melanie Bowen said no one likes to hear about budget cuts, but it was good information
for planning.
"We have got to know what we’re facing," she said. "We don’t like it. It is what it
is."
At a March meeting, the trustees discussed Gov. John Kasich’s proposed budget, which calls for a 41
percent cut in local government funds. That translates to about a $50,000 annual budget cut from Ohio to
the Lake Township general fund.
Total appropriations this year for the township are $5.4 million, about $250,000 less than 2010.
Also at the meeting, the trustees:
¥ Heard from Bess Cochran, who asked the trustees to again consider reimbursing her $50 for a mailbox
damaged by a Wood County snowplow in February. The county will not reimburse her, she said, and because
she is a Lake Township resident, the trustees should pay for it. The trustees did not take any action at
this meeting. At the last meeting, Bowen made a motion to reimburse her, but it did not have a second
from Richard Welling or Ron Sims.
¥ Hired Ivan’s Tree Service, Oregon, for $2,700 to remove nine trees from the cemetery.
¥ Approved spending $2,100 to replace fuel tanks on a 1994 truck used by the road department. The work
will be done by Nollenberger Truck Center Inc., Stony Ridge.
¥ Voted to spend $1,750 to replace a radiator and build a transmission and converter on a 2005 Chevrolet
Tahoe used by the police department. The work will be done by Adler’s Transmission Co. Inc., Walbridge.

¥ Approved spending $21,426 to equip four 2008 Tahoes with emergency equipment. Insurance will reimburse.
The work will be done by D.R. Ebel Police and Fire Equipment, Northwood. The vehicles are replacements
for ones destroyed in the tornado.
¥ Accepted Kyle Lee as a firefighter assigned to station 1 in Walbridge.
¥ Heard March department reports. Police made 13 arrests, issued 61 citations and handled 1,718 calls.
The fire department had 82 runs and EMS had 85. The cemetery had 19 burials. Zoning issued 12 permits
and received $945.
¥ Went into an executive session to discuss personnel issues, including firefighter compensation. No
action was taken.