Mt. Blanchard voters narrowly approve levy

MOUNT BLANCHARD — Voters who live in Mount Blanchard narrowly approved an additional 5-mill tax levy on Tuesday. According to unofficial results from the Hancock County Board of Elections, the issue was approved — 46 votes for the tax levy and 42 against. In April Jim Mason, president of village council, said it wasn't actually a new tax. He said the levy, which was first passed in 2005, couldn't be put on as a renewal because the tax had lapsed. Evidently there was a miscommunication somewhere and council was not notified that it was lapsing and up for renewal last year. So the issue had to go on the ballot as a new levy and an additional tax. The question couldn't be considered as a continuation either because of the change in ballot language between 2005 and 2025, he added. He said the village asked for exactly the same 5-mills that was first approved 20 years ago. As it always has before, the money generated from the tax will go into the general fund for operating expenses. The levy should have been on the ballot last year, he said. And it should have come up as a renewal. The levy generates about $25,000 a year for current expenses which can include anything from park maintenance to a broken waterline, said Mason. He said the maximum it can generate is up to $49,000. But in the 20 years of the levy, the village never received more than $25,000. For the person who owns a home valued at $100,000, the additional tax they pay per year is about $175, he said.