JEROMESVILLE — Hillsdale narrowly avoided a potential $8.7 million loss in public utilities revenue, as final, unofficial election results from Ashland County Tuesday night showed its operating levy renewal passed.
The levy renewal passed by a margin of 469 votes, with 887 for it and 418 against. Votes for the levy in Wayne County had yet to be tallied as of 9:40 p.m.
“We are very appreciative of our Hillsdale community for their support,” district Supt. Catherine Trevathan said Tuesday night.
She previously told Ashland Source the operating levy pays for staffing, supplies and other necessary functions for the district.
Hillsdale first placed the operating levy renewal on the ballot alongside a permanent improvement levy renewal in November 2024. The permanent improvement levy renewal passed by a margin of three votes in the fall, while the operating levy renewal failed by 80 votes.
Board member Keith Yeater said in February he thought the district was too quiet about the impact of voting yes or no on the operating levy renewal last fall.
This time around, a levy committee formed to spread word about the operating levy. Since the levy is a renewal, it comes at no additional cost to taxpayers in the Hillsdale district.
The district said if the renewal did not pass, it would affect the rate at which public utilities would have to pay.
That’s because school districts in Ohio all have to operate on the 20-mill floor. Hillsdale is currently operating on that floor. So, even if the levy hadn’t passed, taxpayers would have to continue paying the same amount, since Hillsdale is on the floor.
But, Trevathan has previously said public utilities only have to pay tax on the voted millage. Without the levy’s passage, voted millage decreases, which would have decreased public utilities’ contribution.
