PERRYSBURG – Way Public Library will ask voters in March to support a replacement levy.
Perrysburg City Council, which is the taxing authority for the library, has approved a request to place a 1.9-mill replacement levy on the March 19 primary election.
Council approved the request without discussion at its Nov. 7 meeting.
The levy currently costs $58.10 per year for homes appraised at $100,000, according to the Wood County Auditor’s Office.
It is currently collecting the equivalent of 1.66 mills from residential and agricultural taxpayers due to the adjustment in property values.
By replacing the tax, owners of a home with an appraised value of $100,000 should expect to pay $66.50 annually.
The request will continue to be for four years, according to the council’s resolution.
The levy is expected to generate $1,568,000 during the first year of its collection, based on the current assessed valuation of the library district, according to the resolution. Funds raised will be used for operating expenses.
Also at the meeting, citizens again expressed their frustration with the idea of putting a roundabout at the intersection of Ohio 25 and U.S. 20.
Becky Williams, Perrysburg, was told no homes would be removed or graves disturbed.
Jacqueline Barchett, East Front Street, said there were improvements to that corridor that could preserve the natural habitats. She said other options beside a roundabout to solve the problem with traffic included combining the four different speed limits on the half-mile stretch of road between Perrysburg and Maumee and adding a median.
She suggested council seek input now as both businesses and residents are not supporting the plan.
“This roundabout is an unnecessary waste of taxpayer money, and it brings no benefit to Perrysburg,” said Deborah Born, East Front Street.
It will have a negative effect on the historic district and is another example of administration’s goal to make the city a cookie-cutter suburb, she said.
The city’s share of the $5.8 million project is $1.116 million.
Cooper Suter, who lives on West Front Street, said no one seems to know why the roundabout was proposed, the public is not getting information on the project and there is negligible support.
At least don’t accept the funds from Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments until the need for a roundabout is shown, concerns are addressed, and new council members are sworn in, he said.
He read from the city’s study, which showed its primary focus was to evaluate the safety on Route 20 at the driveway entrance to Orleans Park. Sometime before the resolution to move forward with the project was approved, Orleans Park was eliminated, he said.
“It makes people suspicious of what the real goal of a roundabout is,” Suter said.
This roundabout did not score well, only getting a 43 out of 100 from TMACOG, he said.
Mayor Tom Mackin said there is no budget for the project, no design work has been done and no request for proposals have been issued.
“Council won’t just push something through,” said council President Jonathan Smith.
Kathleen Gibson, Duxbury Lane, said if any of the council members lived at the corner where the roundabout would go, they would have more empathy for the comments being made.
Collin Rudnik, Maple Street, asked whether council will listen to the people they represent or base the decision on a report.
“I’ve seen no one begging for this roundabout,” he said.
Also at the meeting, council:
• Approved the purchase from Perrysburg Auto Mall for a 2023 GMC Acadia for the police department for $37,531. It will replace a 2011 Ford Taurus.
• Approved the purchase from Whiteford Kenworth for a 2024 Kenworth T480 dump truck for the department of public utilities for $198,598.
• Approved the purchase from Murphy Tractor and Equipment Co. for a 2024 John Deere 85 P-Tier excavator for $166,431 and for a Towmaster T-50LP trailer for $48,168, both for the department of public utilities.
• Authorized the fire department to pursue grants through the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation not to exceed $15,000. The department wants to purchase a source capture diesel exhaust system and 34 barrier hoods.
• Awarded a bid for street trees to Malczewski’s Lawn Care LLC for $49,230.
