MENTOR, Ohio — Some school districts in Lake County are considering budget cuts, mergers, and levies.
In Mentor, the Board of Education recently voted to put a 5-year, 4.9-mil levy on the ballot in May. If approved, the school district said it would generate $13.5 million annually.
According to the district’s website, the money would support the general operating budget and the daily costs associated with operating the district’s schools.
The Willoughby-Eastlake City School District is exploring merging schools.
Last year, state lawmakers passed House Bill 96 in an attempt,officials said, to give a tax break to homeowners.
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“What it did, it allowed the county commissioners to decide if they want to double the homestead credit for seniors and if they wanted to double the owner occupancy credit and in Lake County, we’re one of the four counties that adopted this for this tax season,” said Michael Zuren, Lake County treasurer.
In Lake County, Zuren said about 60% of property tax revenue goes to fund schools, with 40% funding police, fire, city services, among other things.
According to Zuren, about 17,000 senior citizens and 75,000 homeowners benefited from the credits being doubled. The reduction in tax revenue was about $17 million.
“If we were going to give taxpayers the relief it would be coming out of everyone’s budgets,” said Morris Beverage III, Lake County commissioner.
That means police, fire, cities, townships and schools are all getting less money.
“All the school districts had a reduction just like everybody else across the county,” said Beverage.
According to the Lake County Treasurer’s office, Willoughby Eastlake Schools lost the most, with $1.7 million being slashed.
