ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Sunday, June 24, 2007

By IKE MGBATOGU
ThisWeek Contributor

Berkshire Township trustees last week took action to resolve an unusual, longstanding and expensive problem.

For a number of years -- no one knows exactly how many -- the township has not been collecting its share of the 10 "inside" mills collected in property taxes across the county.

The inside mills are a permanent tax and often are referred to as "non-voted" because they never appear as a ballot issue.

Trustee James Kappenhagen said a past board of trustees apparently decided to forego, or not collect, any inside millage with the goal of reducing local tax bills.

The problem with that action, Kappenhagen said, is that it was permanent. The Berlin trustees and Delaware County Auditor Tom Hanks indicated there is no way to know how much money Berkshire lost by its action. Hanks said his office has no records that say how long the situation has continued.

But they do know 1.3 of the 10 mills collected in Berkshire -- capable of raising $150,000 a year -- is now unclaimed by other local municipalities, which means it's available.

To claim the money, Berkshire had to create a roads district, a step the trustees approved last week.

Trustee William Holtry said the money -- which Berkshire now can only spend on roads -- "will double the township's road budget."

Kappenhagen said the township had been forced to spend general funds on roads. A roads district with inside millage funds will free general fund money for use elsewhere.

He said the money will allow the township to perform effective road resurfacing, something it recently has been unable to do. Deputy county auditor Shari Baker said the 3.1 mills equals $39.81 a year per $100,000 of appraised residential valuation.

Also during the meeting, trustees voted to ask the Big Walnut school district to pull out of the Eastern Delaware County Joint Recreation District. (See related story on page A1).

It was the JRD that put a 1.2-mill levy on the May ballot for an area recreation center. Voters in Sunbury, Galena and six townships rejected the plan by a nearly 2-1 margin.

If Big Walnut pulled out of the JRD, trustees said, that would reduce the JRD's operating area to Sunbury and Galena. That would prevent township residents from paying for any future rec center. Trustees and at least one resident at the meeting were adamant in their rejection of any rec center plan.

"We don't need a rec center," Kappenhagen said, calling it a "luxury item" proposed with "no public input."

"I can't see taking my tax dollars for something that will be based in Sunbury," said resident Susan Stanton.

If Big Walnut follows the recommendation, Holtry said, "JRD will pretty much disband, because it won't be able to function without Big Walnut."