News
Alexander School District Levy Fails, Athens City Council Set in May Primary
By: Aaron Payne
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ATHENS, OH — Sixty-one percent of voters across portions of Athens, Meigs, and Vinton Counties rejected a levy proposal for the Alexander School District Tuesday.
“The community has spoken,” Superintendent Lindy Douglas said. “So, we need to work within our budget that will be set.”
The levy would have set a 1.5 percent earned income tax to generate revenue for operating expenses.
Douglas and the board will now look at the available revenues at the next board meeting and will determine the next step.
“We will look at the five-year forecast, the biennial budget, any changes in funding, and we will proceed with the approved cuts that the board approved in April,” she said.
The board approved approximately $600,000 in cuts for the upcoming school year after the levy failed to pass in November. These cuts include:
- Personnel: 1 teacher, 1 library aide position, and 2 non-certified positions
- Programs: $105,000 in reading and pre-school programs
- Technology: $50,000
- Transportation: 2 buses will not be purchased and 1 route will be cut
Douglas told the public ahead of Tuesday’s vote that the five-year forecast indicates a need for increased revenues to maintain the system without eliminating resources.
“If the funding formula doesn’t change and local funding doesn’t change, then the only resort we have is to balance our school budget with cuts,” she said.
Voters have not approved a levy measure for the Alexander School District in 26 years.
The board was unsure Tuesday whether it would put the levy on the ballot in November. Douglas anticipates that decision will be made sometime in July.
Athens City Council
Samuel Crowl will represent Athens’ third ward on city council, unless an independent candidate files to run against him in the November election.
Crowl secured the Democratic nomination for the seat Tuesday after he defeated Eric Gunn, 82-62, in the only contested race for city council.
Other races on the ballot included:
- Christine Knisley, who ran unopposed for the council president nomination
- Mary McClure, who ran unopposed for the city treasurer nomination
- Kent Butler, who ran unopposed for the Ward 1 nomination
- Jeffery Risner, who ran unopposed for the Ward 2 nomination
- Christine Fahl, who ran unopposed for the Ward 4 nomination
- Sarah Grace, Peter Kotses, and Arian Smedley, who all received nominations for Council at Large