Trending
KINSMAN -- Township trustees have approved placing a 1.25-mill, five-year term current expense levy on the March 19 primary ballot to help the general fund.
Trustee Bruce Bancroft said he felt a current levy could be placed on the ballot to support the general fund, which covers costs for different departments.
Bancroft originally had suggested a park levy, but said that would limit what the funds could be used for, so the current expenses levy would be for current expenses in parks, zoning, roads and other areas.
Trustees have met Fiscal Officer Marge Crupi at recent meetings to discuss the general fund, the revenue and appropriations and cash summary of the fund, including the status of the general fund without the American Rescue Plan funds to support it in 2024.
Officials said the general fund would begin 2024 with approximately $7,000.
The deadline to get an issue on the ballot is Dec. 20.
An additional 1.5-mill., five-year additional operating levy on the Nov. 7 ballot was defeated by voters. The levy would have raised $60,000 annually for the general fund.
The levy was defeated 53% to 47%, according to results from the Trumbull County Board of Elections.
Trustee Greg Leonhard said the levy lost by 38 votes.
He said the general fund provides money for parks, zoning, legal fees and mosquito spraying. Leonhard said the current expenses levy does not cover police, fire / emergency medical service and roads.
Leonhard said the American Rescue Plan funds have "helped the township stay afloat" in recent years because the cost of electric and gas, as well as other expenses, have risen.
In other business, local attorney Christine Davis said she may be interested in representing Kinsman. She is working for Ashtabula County doing mostly zoning work.
Davis asked how much litigation the township does and discussed liability insurance waiver.
She said she feels she could provide a relatively quick turnaround time for legal opinions, since she lives in Kinsman. She would bill hourly for her legal counsel, with no retainer. She said she will try to attend upcoming trustee meetings to familiarize herself with township business.
A letter of gratitude will be sent to Mark Finamore for all the years of service he has done for the Kinsman community should the trustees decide to hire Christine Davis as township legal counsel.
Also, trustees have advertised for a full-time road department position.
Leonard said the trustees should interview a candidate that lives in Kinsman for the position.
Leonhard updated the trustees and fiscal officer that 911 costs will be going up approximately 10% from $235 to $259 for police and $196 to $216 for fire.
Trustees also approved including Kinsman Nickerson Road repairs in Phase 5 of the Kinsman sidewalk project, with an estimated total cost of $228,170 with the township to pay the local match of the Trumbull County Engineer's estimate. The township's responsibility for the local match is 20% of the total, which is $45,634. It will be paid by donations from the Friends of Kinsman Sidewalk Project.