Bond issue for new Union Twp. garage approved

MOUNT CORY — Three times is apparently a charm in Union Township. Voters approved a bond issue request Tuesday to build, furnish and equip a new township garage and to clear, improve and equip the site. The issue was narrowly approved, according to unofficial results from the Hancock County Board of Elections, — with 200 votes in favor of the request and 197 against. The issue was twice rejected in 2025. All three times, the issue was the same, according to Jason Hoffman in April. Hoffman is serving as chairman of the trustees this year. The bond issue is set for a principal amount of $750,000 which will be repaid annually over a maximum period of 15 years. The bond also involves a 1.2-mill levy for Union Township residents. The value of the millage equates to $35 for each $100,000 of property value, as appraised by the county auditor. The levy would start this year and would first be due in 2027. Money from the levy will be used to pay the annual debt charges on the issued bonds as well as debt charges on any note issued in anticipation of the bonds. The current garage, located in the 200 block of West Washington Street, is one of the village's oldest structures. The building was first a two-room brick school building known as school #10. Eventually the school closed. It has been used as a garage to house the township's trucks for years. But the building has outlived its usefulness, according to the trustees. It's full with two trucks, the township mower and road signs. The new garage would be larger in size and better able to hold township property, as well as serve as a place to hold meetings and keep records.