Allen, Orange townships pass levies

Allen Township approves levy renewal with increase Allen Township voters approved the renewal of a 0.9-mill levy and an increase of 0.6-mills at the polls Tuesday. The levy will support the operation of the local fire district. According to township fiscal officer Mark Schimmoeller, the expiring levy was not enough to pay the full fire district expenses. Township trustees were forced to pay the $32,000 difference from the township general fund. The increase will provide a more sustainable way to pay the full expenses, he said. The levy with the increase will cost $41 for each $100,000 of taxable value for property owners for the next five years. The levy was approved with a vote of 324 votes for and 159 votes against. Orange Township approves levy renewal Orange Township voters approved the renewal of a tax levy to be used for current expenses. The vote was 131 votes for and 62 votes against the renewal. The levy is estimated to collect $59,035 annually, at a rate of 1-mill for each $1 of taxable value, which amounts to $30 for each $100,000 in taxable value for five years. Union Township denies bond issue Voters in Union Township denied a bond issue at the polls Tuesday for a third straight time by just six votes. The bond was rejected with 154 votes for and 160 votes against the bond issue. The bond would have been issued to raise funding for construction, furnishing and equipping a new township garage. The bond issue was set for a principal amount of $750,000, which would have been repaid over a maximum of 15 years and involved a 1.2-mill levy for township residents. The value of the millage would have equated to $42 for each $100,000 of appraised value. The request was rejected twice in the recent past — in the general election in November 2024, and again in an election in May.