Strongsville Voters will Decide 6.9-Mill School Levy Aug. 2

What: A 6.9-mill, four-year operating levy for the Strongsville City School District.

Election Day: Aug. 2. Polls are open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

History: School officials, eyeing dwindling reserves and looming , put a 9.9-mill levy on the May primary ballot. But before that issue went to the polls, the school board announced a brighter revenue picture meant the district no longer needed 9.9 mills and could get by with 6.9. The 9.9-mill levy was resoundingly defeated at the polls.

The 6.9-mill issue would raise about $10 million a year for four years and cost homeowners about $200 a year for every $100,000 in home valuation.

The district has posted a  FAQ page on its website to answer some questions about the issue.

And about 200 volunteers launched a campaign several weeks ago aimed at the heavy absentee vote in Strongsville. Superintendent Jeff Lampert said that in the May primary, 8,000 of the 11,000 ballots cast were absentee. 

The last new school levy approved by Strongsville voters was a 6.5-mill issue in November 2007.

Argument For: School officials say they have demonstrated fiscal prudence by cutting 140 positions and since 2006, as well as negotiating a new teacher contract that saves $2.6 million.

They point to lower property tax collection and big cuts in state funding cutting into the district's revenue.

Lampert also says the district has received nine consecutive "excellent" ratings on its state report card and wants to maintain that. He also says passing the levy will help preseve home values.

Argument Against: Opponents say the district needed to get even tougher with the teacher contract regarding health coverage and retirement benefits. They also say more cuts can be made -- more administrators should be eliminated and more services, like busing, halted. 

Some also say they simply cannot afford a tax increase.

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