GREEN TOWNSHIP — Green Township voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to renew a property tax levy that helps pay for the upkeep of Greenlawn Union Cemetery located along State Route 39.
The 0.2-mill renewal would generate an estimated $15,322 annually, according to Ashland County auditor’s certification. The levy would remain in place for five years if voters approve it.
The estimated cost is $2 annually for every $100,000 of a property’s appraised value, according to the auditor’s certification.
The levy supports the cemetery’s maintenance, operating expenses and keeps the grounds looking presentable, according to Greenlawn Union Cemetery Fiscal Officer Sandra Mowery.
“It’s for everything — the operating, mowing and maintenance,” Mowery said. “It pays for our upkeep of the cemetery.”
The township distributes the tax revenue to the cemetery for operating expenses after receiving its second-half property tax distributions, according to Green Township Fiscal Officer Andi Purcell.
Mowery said losing the levy would create financial difficulties for the cemetery.
“We’d have a lot of trouble trying to keep it up,” Mowery said.
Mowery said the levy has been in place throughout her time working with the cemetery.
Public election records show Green Township’s cemetery levy appeared on the ballot as a 0.4-mill renewal in 2003 and a 0.2-mill renewal in 2006. The records reviewed do not establish when the levy was first approved.
The township’s resolution identifies the measure as a renewal of an existing 0.2-mill levy. If approved, the renewed levy would take effect Jan. 1, 2027, with the first taxes due in 2028.
Green Township voters will decide the issue during the general election.
Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3. Voters can find their assigned polling place through the Ashland County Board of Elections’ page.
