PERRY TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Perry Township will ask residents to vote on a road levy again this spring. It's the same road levy the township has been trying to pass for years.
News 5's Caitlin Hunt talked with Trustee Ralph DeChiara about it last year.
RELATED: Perry Township struggles with bumpy roads and small road paving budget
Township leaders say the passage of the levy is needed now more than ever.
"This year we have zero dollars allotted for road paving," Public Works Director John Wellman said. "Last year, our 2014 levy expired, and we lost $500,000."
Wellman said crews can only patch roads. Local Rylan Finzer is witnessing this firsthand on the roads in his neighborhood.
"The last time those roads were paved was in 2004, when I was in the fourth grade at Reedurban Elementary," Finzer said. "Since then, they've just done patchwork, and the roads look like roads from Baghdad or something."
If the levy passes this time, Finzer could see some of his roads paved. The levy would allocate approximately $2.7 million for road paving over five years. That money would pave about 20 miles of road each year. The township would also look into getting a loan from the bank, so the department could continue to pave without dealing with price increases each year.
If history repeats itself, Wellman said the public works department may not replace some upcoming retirees. That could mean snow and ice removal will take more time with less time spent in allotments.
"There are a lot of bad things that can happen if we don't get the money to repave the roads to maintain our current operations," Wellman said. "The 1986 money is not enough."
Residents like Finzer are still undecided on whether they'll support the levy or not. Finzer said he is not sure if the levy will pass this year, as other township matters have led to frustration with local leadership.
"People want more transparency from their government," he said. "They want to know what's going on, what's happening, why things are the way that they are."
Election Day is Tuesday, May 5.
