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CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Ohio — West Geauga Local Schools is asking voters to approve a substitute levy on the Nov. 4 ballot that would combine multiple existing operating levies into one continuing measure. If approved, the substitute levy would cost homeowners about $169 per year for every $100,000 of home value, which is roughly the same amount residents already pay under the district’s expiring emergency levies, Superintendent Nancy Benincasa said. While current property owners wouldn’t see their bills rise, the school district still expects to collect more money than it does today if the measure passes, because of how substitute levies are structured under Ohio law. Unlike other levy types, a substitute levy allows schools to collect additional tax revenue when new homes or commercial buildings are constructed in the district. The district expects the substitute levy to generate about $6.05 million a year. The expiring levies it would replace currently account for about 16% of West Geauga’s total revenue, Benincasa said. Most residential and agricultural property owners already receive a 10% Non-Business Credit and 2.5% Owner-Occupancy Credit, which would continue under a substitute levy and reduce the net cost to about $148 per $100,000 in home value, according to the district. The measure would apply to tax year 2025, with collection beginning in calendar year 2026. The substitute levy request comes just weeks before Ohio’s new law takes effect eliminating emergency, substitute and replacement levies — a change that will bar districts from placing similar issues on future ballots after Dec. 30. Benincasa said the proposal is designed to simplify school funding and avoid disrupting current operations. “If approved, the levy would continue to fund school operations at the current level while allowing growth from new construction in the district,” Benincasa said. “Funds generated by the substitute levy would continue to pay for essential day-to-day operations like teacher and staff salaries, classroom supplies, transportation, extracurricular activities and technology.” Residents with questions about the levy may contact district Treasurer/CFO Karen Pavlat, officials said.
