Substitute​ ​Emergency​ ​Levy​ ​Frequently​ ​Asked​ ​Questions  Medina​ ​City​ ​Schools​ ​will​ ​have​ ​a​ ​5.2​ ​mill​ ​Substitute​ ​Emergency​ ​Levy​ ​on​ ​the​ ​May​ ​8,​ ​2018​ ​ballot. Below​ ​are​ ​answers​ ​to​ ​a​ ​few​ ​frequently​ ​asked​ ​questions. What​ ​is​ ​a​ ​Substitute​ ​Emergency​ ​Levy? A​ ​Substitute​ ​Emergency​ ​Levy​ ​would​ ​not​ ​be​ ​a​ ​new​ ​tax​ ​to​ ​the​ ​community.​ ​ ​Essentially,​ ​it substitutes​ ​the​ ​current​ ​5.9​ ​mill​ ​emergency​ ​levy​ ​with​ ​the​ ​same​ ​revenue​ ​collection​ ​rate​ ​already​ ​in place.​ ​ ​The​ ​Substitute​ ​Emergency​ ​Levy​ ​will​ ​allow​ ​the​ ​District​ ​to​ ​ask​ ​for​ ​continuous​ ​dollars​ ​as long​ ​as​ ​we​ ​do​ ​not​ ​ask​ ​for​ ​a​ ​collection​ ​value​ ​higher​ ​than​ ​the​ ​original​ ​emergency​ ​levy. Unlike​ ​other​ ​operating​ ​issues,​ ​a​ ​Substitute​ ​Emergency​ ​Levy​ ​would​ ​allow​ ​Medina​ ​City​ ​Schools​ ​to receive​ ​additional​ ​revenue​ ​from​ ​new​ ​construction​ ​within​ ​District​ ​boundaries​ ​without​ ​an​ ​increase in​ ​the​ ​collection​ ​rate. How​ ​much​ ​will​ ​the​ ​levy​ ​cost​ ​taxpayers? This​ ​levy​ ​is​ ​not​ ​a​ ​new​ ​tax.​ ​ ​The​ ​5.9​ ​mill​ ​emergency​ ​levy​ ​that​ ​originally​ ​passed​ ​in​ ​2013​ ​will​ ​be expiring​ ​on​ ​December​ ​31,​ ​2018.​ ​ ​This​ ​5.2​ ​mill​ ​substitute​ ​emergency​ ​levy​ ​will​ ​replace​ ​the​ ​current emergency​ ​levy​ ​and​ ​will​ ​not​ ​cost​ ​the​ ​taxpayers​ ​additional​ ​dollars. How​ ​much​ ​will​ ​the​ ​levy​ ​generate? The​ ​Substitute​ ​Emergency​ ​Levy​ ​will​ ​generate​ ​$6.6​ ​million​ ​for​ ​the​ ​District​ ​which​ ​is​ ​the​ ​same collection​ ​rate​ ​of​ ​the​ ​current​ ​5-year​ ​emergency​ ​levy. How​ ​long​ ​will​ ​the​ ​Substitute​ ​Emergency​ ​Levy​ ​be​ ​in​ ​effect? The​ ​5.2​ ​mill​ ​Substitute​ ​Emergency​ ​Levy​ ​will​ ​be​ ​remain​ ​in​ ​effect​ ​on​ ​a​ ​continuous​ ​basis.

Would​ ​passage​ ​of​ ​the​ ​5.2​ ​mill​ ​Substitute​ ​Emergency​ ​Levy​ ​allow​ ​the​ ​District​ ​to​ ​offer tuition​ ​free,​ ​full​ ​day​ ​kindergarten​ ​and​ ​other​ ​additional​ ​services​ ​to​ ​Medina​ ​City​ ​Schools’ students? With​ ​the​ ​passage​ ​of​ ​this​ ​levy,​ ​the​ ​dollars​ ​will​ ​go​ ​towards​ ​the​ ​implementation​ ​of​ ​the​ ​current 5-year​ ​strategic​ ​plan​ ​that​ ​was​ ​created​ ​last​ ​year​ ​through​ ​a​ ​collaborative​ ​effort​ ​with​ ​students,​ ​staff, administrators,​ ​parents,​ ​and​ ​community​ ​members.​ ​ ​Major​ ​parts​ ​of​ ​this​ ​plan​ ​include​ ​the implementation​ ​of​ ​all​ ​day​ ​kindergarten,​ ​increased​ ​electives​ ​at​ ​the​ ​middle​ ​and​ ​high​ ​school​ ​levels, and​ ​inquiry​ ​based​ ​learning​ ​curriculum​ ​kindergarten​ ​through​ ​twelfth​ ​grade.​ ​ ​With​ ​passage​ ​of​ ​the levy,​ ​it​ ​will​ ​create​ ​long-term​ ​stability​ ​for​ ​the​ ​District​ ​allowing​ ​new​ ​programming​ ​to​ ​be implemented​ ​without​ ​an​ ​increase​ ​in​ ​tax​ ​dollars. What​ ​is​ ​the​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​the​ ​current​ ​levy​ ​and​ ​when​ ​will​ ​it​ ​expire? The​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​the​ ​current​ ​5-year​ ​5.9​ ​mill​ ​emergency​ ​levy​ ​collects​ ​approximately​ ​$6.6​ ​million dollars​ ​and​ ​is​ ​set​ ​to​ ​expire​ ​on​ ​December​ ​31,​ ​2018.​ ​ ​The​ ​Substitute​ ​Emergency​ ​Levy​ ​will​ ​collect the​ ​same​ ​dollar​ ​amount​ ​keeping​ ​the​ ​tax​ ​dollars​ ​collected​ ​from​ ​the​ ​community​ ​at​ ​the​ ​same​ ​level. How​ ​will​ ​the​ ​Substitute​ ​Emergency​ ​Levy​ ​impact​ ​a​ ​homeowner? For​ ​a​ ​homeowner​ ​of​ ​a​ ​house​ ​with​ ​a​ ​value​ ​of​ ​$100,000,​ ​this​ ​levy​ ​would​ ​cost​ ​them​ ​$182​ ​per​ ​year which​ ​is​ ​the​ ​same​ ​cost​ ​as​ ​the​ ​current​ ​levy.​ ​ ​For​ ​a​ ​homeowner​ ​of​ ​a​ ​house​ ​with​ ​a​ ​value​ ​of $150,000​ ​this​ ​levy​ ​would​ ​cost​ ​$273​ ​per​ ​year,​ ​and​ ​for​ ​a​ ​home​ ​valued​ ​at​ ​$200,000​ ​the​ ​cost​ ​would be​ ​$364​ ​per​ ​year,​ ​again​ ​both​ ​at​ ​the​ ​same​ ​rate​ ​as​ ​the​ ​current​ ​levy. Why​ ​is​ ​the​ ​District​ ​seeking​ ​a​ ​continuous​ ​levy​ ​instead​ ​one​ ​that​ ​is​ ​a​ ​fixed​ ​term? The​ ​District​ ​is​ ​seeking​ ​a​ ​more​ ​permanent​ ​levy​ ​to​ ​create​ ​stability​ ​for​ ​the​ ​District​ ​and​ ​our​ ​students allowing​ ​new​ ​programming​ ​to​ ​be​ ​implemented​ ​without​ ​an​ ​increase​ ​in​ ​tax​ ​dollars.​ ​ ​The​ ​District expects​ ​that​ ​taxpayers​ ​will​ ​hold​ ​the​ ​District​ ​leadership​ ​accountable​ ​for​ ​levy​ ​promises​ ​and performance​ ​through​ ​elections,​ ​evaluations,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​hiring​ ​process.​ ​ ​The​ ​District​ ​continually adjusts​ ​its​ ​forecast​ ​and​ ​budgets​ ​with​ ​the​ ​input​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Finance​ ​Committee​ ​which​ ​includes members​ ​of​ ​the​ ​community​ ​to​ ​ensure​ ​transparency​ ​and​ ​accountability. Why​ ​is​ ​it​ ​called​ ​a​ ​Substitute​ ​Emergency​ ​Levy​ ​if​ ​it​ ​is​ ​indefinite?​ ​ ​What​ ​makes​ ​it​ ​a substitute​ ​instead​ ​of​ ​an​ ​emergency? A​ ​Substitute​ ​Emergency​ ​Levy​ ​can​ ​only​ ​replace​ ​a​ ​current​ ​emergency​ ​levy.​ ​ ​A​ ​substitute emergency​ ​levy​ ​allows​ ​the​ ​district​ ​the​ ​opportunity​ ​to​ ​ask​ ​the​ ​community​ ​for​ ​continuous​ ​dollars as​ ​long​ ​as​ ​we​ ​do​ ​not​ ​ask​ ​for​ ​a​ ​collection​ ​value​ ​higher​ ​than​ ​the​ ​original​ ​emergency​ ​levy.​ ​ ​The long-term​ ​stability​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Substitute​ ​Emergency​ ​Levy​ ​will​ ​allow​ ​the​ ​district​ ​to​ ​implement​ ​new programming​ ​without​ ​asking​ ​for​ ​more​ ​money​ ​for​ ​at​ ​least​ ​another​ ​4-5​ ​more​ ​years.

The​ ​term​ ​“Substitute​ ​Emergency​ ​Levy”​ ​is​ ​coined​ ​by​ ​the​ ​State​ ​of​ ​Ohio​ ​based​ ​on​ ​the​ ​fact​ ​that taxing​ ​authorities​ ​have​ ​to​ ​have​ ​a​ ​current​ ​emergency​ ​levy​ ​which​ ​the​ ​substitute​ ​levy​ ​will​ ​replace.