By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
Levies in two of Crawford County’s school districts will be decided by the voters in the upcoming May election on Tuesday.
Voters of the Crestline Exempted Village School District will be asked to approve a .75-percent earned income tax with a 10-year limit operations levy. The levy was up for vote in the November 2014 election; however, it was voted down.
Superintendent Noreen Mullins explained what the money from the levy would go towards.
“It is an operating levy to fund the day to day operations of the school which includes replacing aging buses, keeping staff at full capacity, and to balance the school’s budget,” Mullins said.
Crestline made an estimated $350,000 in budget cuts in March by reducing staff to help try to balance the budget. However, the reduction in staff alone won’t help as Superintendent Noreen Mullins stated in an interview to crawfordcountynow.com in March.
“With the levy and these cuts we will balance the budget. These cuts alone won’t balance the budget,” Mullins said.
Renewals for an existing 6.9-mil operating levy as well as a $350,000 emergency levy will be for voters of the Wynford school district. Both issues are not new to the school district having been up for vote and renewal since May of 2003.
Superintendent Steve Mohr explained in an interview with crawfordcountynow.com in December why passing the levies are important.
“It is issues that have been in front of our community numerous times and particularly the last two or three times it has been passed by overwhelming support,” Mohr said. “We are not asking for any new money, but it is essential that they pass; it is obviously an important part of our financial picture.”