Lebanon’s fire levy leads voter approval of multiple issues

The passage of a Lebanon fire levy that officials said will protect jobs and allow them to move forward on a new fire station plan led the approval of multiple issues in Warren County, according to Tuesday night’s results.

Lebanon’s 9-mill fire levy passed by almost 800 votes, according to unofficial election results. More than 58 percent of votes counted Tuesday were for the levy, which replaces an existing 7-mill levy and adds 2 mills.

“The residents of our great city truly believe in the significance and importance of our fire department and EMS services,” Mayor Amy Brewer said. “Those are vital services we provide for our residents.”

For every $100,000 of home value, the levy is expected to cost $303 a year, $70 more than the existing 7-mill levy. It is projected to raise $4 million a year, an additional $839,000 a year over the existing levy.

Brewer said moving the fire station is “our next step.”

Elsewhere in Warren County, every issue except one charter amendment was adopted.

Election-night totals in Mason showed voters passed a charter issue limiting the density of development in this growing city just north of the Hamilton-Warren county line.

The density issue caps at eight per acre the number of units in multi-family dwellings, condominiums, “landominiums” and townhouses, except in overlay areas established by the city council.

The other issue, requiring the council to avoid possible conflicts of interest when buying and selling land, failed, 6,766 votes to 5,707.

In another fast-growing community in the Morrow area, voters in Hamilton Twp. passed a 1-mill renewal for police, and 1.25 mills in street funding. The police issue passed, 8,513 to 2,936, and the street issue 6,725 to 4,711.

Outside Lebanon, about 60 percent of Turtlecreek Twp. voters supported both electric and gas aggregation issues.

East of Waynesville, more than 60 percent of Harveysburg voters renewed a 2 mill, five year levy for police services and a 2.5 mill, five year general operating levy, according to unofficial final results.

In Harlan Twp., more than 77 percent of election-night tallies were for a 1 mill renewal for fire department funding.