|
Then there are four issues
that are critically important in order to maintain the
quality of life in Toledo for all residents. Issue 18 is a
renewal request from the Toledo Area Regional Transit
Authority. Issue 21 is a renewal request from Imagination
Station. Issue 22 is a renewal request from the Toledo Lucas
County Public Library along with an additional increase.
Issue 23 is a request from the Toledo Zoo for a renewal and
a decrease.
We urge our readers to
vote for all four levy requests.
Issue 18 – TARTA Seeks a 1.5 Mill Renewal
The 1.5 mill renewal that
TARTA is asking voters to approve provides 25 percent of the
company’s operating budget. The benefits of TARTA operating
effectively are readily apparent. A healthy TARTA is an
absolute necessity since access to public transportation
provides economic opportunity for many, it drives community
revitalization and it enables many to have access to job
opportunities.
This levy is not a new tax
Issue 21 – Imagination Station Seeks a 0.17 Renewal
Imagination Station’s levy
request is the smallest on the ballot this year and will
cost the owner of a $100,000 home only $5.13 per year. The
levy provides $1.15 million – 27 percent of the annual
operating budget for the non-profit agency.
In the heart of downtown
Toledo, Imagination Station offers approximately 300
exhibits and the levy enables the science-oriented
organization to keep admission prices as low as possible,
particular for children 12 and under.
This levy is not a new tax
Issue 22 – Toledo Lucas County Library Seeks a 2.9 Renewal
and a 0.8 increase
The current levy ends in
December 2017 and the increase would not be slated to take
effect until January 2018. The total 3.7 levy is expected to
account for 57 percent of the Library’s operating budget and
the additional tax will increase that annual amount from $20
to $25 million annually.
The Library needs the
renewal, of course, to maintain the level of services Toledo
area residents have come to expect over the years from one
of the finest library systems in the nation. The Library
operates 20 locations in addition to four Outreach Services
vehicles.
The additional funds will
enable the Library to expand services and hours at certain
branches all for the cost of only $30 additional from the
owner of a $100,000 home.
In truth, it is a rare
individual who does not avail himself of the Library’s
services with frequency throughout the year – the Library
performs so many functions within our community. For some,
the Library is a home away from home.
There are few
institutions, if any, that have such a positive impact on
the quality of life for Lucas County residents.
Issue 23 – The Toledo Zoo Seeks a 0.75 Renewal and a 0.1
Decrease
Yes, you read that right.
Rated the number one of its kind in the nation, our zoo is
actually asking the voters’ permission to take in less
money. If you are looking for a bargain on the ballot, this
is surely it.
In the 1980’s the Zoo
relied on money from levies for about 80 percent of its
operating budget. Currently the Zoo’s budget gets only 14
percent of its funds from levies, an amount that will be
reduced in the next few years. The Zoo has the ability to
raise funds in other ways, from admissions to spectacular
fundraisers and it makes the most of those.
We don’t want to lose any
of these institutions or diminish their impact because each
adds so much to the economy, to the quality of life and to
the educational attainment of our children and families.
Please vote For on all of these levy issues.
|
