23-07-2025
How much would Westerville levy cost taxpayers?
WESTERVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) — As lawmakers at the Ohio Statehouse talk about property tax relief, Westerville City Schools is putting an earned income tax levy on the November ballot.
Most recent school levies in central Ohio are property tax levies, but some said an earned income tax levy could be more appealing to voters, especially those on a fixed income.
Westerville City Schools voters will see a 0.75 percent earned income tax levy in November, which means people who are retired, on social security or unemployed will not be taxed.
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'There's a potential future ballot issue that would eliminate property taxes in the state of Ohio,' Westerville City Schools Treasurer Nicole Marshall said. 'We've heard a lot of lawmakers, you know, they're focused on property tax reform.'
With property taxes so high, Marshall said she thought the best thing for the district was an income tax levy.
'We were very much mindful of we have senior citizens who are worried about being able to stay in their homes, that are retired, and that we do think that this would be a relief to them,' Marshall said.
Bill Phillis, a consultant for the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding, noted that with many local property tax levies failing in recent years, it makes sense for districts to try a different approach, especially in communities with many residents on fixed incomes.
'A lot of the older folks who, you know, don't have as much income as they did in previous years, that's kind of a good deal for them,' Phillis said. 'For the, you know, high salaried folks, it's not such a good deal.'
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With the most recent state budget, Phillis said the burden of paying for public education is falling more on local taxpayers. He said he could see more districts following in Westerville's footsteps.
'If they don't solve that and keep pushing it back to the local level, then I assume that there might be some more interest in the income tax,' Phillis said.
For residents earning $60,000 a year, the levy, if approved, would cost $450 annually, Marshall said. To calculate how much the levy would cost you annually, multiply your annual salary by .0075.
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