By Gabe Linderman, Transcript Reporter
There were two Delaware, Ohio local levies, one charter amendment and an income tax increase up on the ballot this election day. Two were countywide levies, one was a local tax increase and the last issue was an amendment to the existing city charter. Both levies and the amendment passed, but the tax increase failed.
The first countywide levies will increase financial support of Delaware-Morrow Mental Health and Recovery Services, a bi-county organization that provides mental health and substance abuse treatment and prevention services.
The levy passed with 65.57 percent of residents for the levy and 34.43 percent against the levy.
It is a five-year levy that will generate an estimated $7.3 million every year for mental health and recovery services in Delaware and Morrow counties.
It will increase yearly property taxes in Delaware County to $29.09 for every $100,000 of property value.
The second countywide levy will renew and increase an existing levy supporting 911 emergency services. The levy passed with 58.95 percent of voters supporting the levy while 34.43 percent were against it.
The levy will increase from $13.18 per every $100,000 of property value to $19.48 per every $100,000 of property value. The additional $1.1 million will allow for continued operations of Delaware County 911 emergency services and expansion as the county continues to grow.
There was also an amendment to the city’s charter that passed. Every eight years, a review commission of nine elec- tors is formed to review and examine the charter.
This year, the commission recommended 34 changes to the charter. All of the changes either modernize the document (removed outdated provisions), clarify parts of the document (removed ambiguity from charter sections), or work to clean up the charter (made the document more readable and under table).
Finally on the ballot was a proposed municipal income tax increase. Voters in Delaware city proper have voted against an increase of their income tax rate from 1.85 percent to 2 percent.
The extra $2.2 million that would have been generated annually would’ve gone towards Moving Delaware Forward, a city project focused on “reducing congestion and improving the overall efficiency of our street network.” The project would have increased the rate at which streets are resurfaced, work on traffic signal timing issues, and increasing parking capacity, among other things.