Montville seeks 1.5-mill additional levy for roads

Montville Township voters will decide Nov. 5 whether to approve a 1.5mill additional levy for streets, roads and bridges.

If approved, the levy would cost taxpayers an additional $52.50 a year per $100,000 property valuation. The levy would bring in an estimated $79,221 annually, according to the Geauga County Auditor’s Office.

There are 1,382 registered voters in Montville as of Sept. 13, according to data from the Geauga County Elections Board.

Montville Township Trustee Jim Marsic said in an email that the township is “solely responsible for 11.77 miles of a combination of improved and unimproved roads.”

“With an annual budget of $208,100 that includes motor vehicle and gas tax, the funds are distributed for road improvements, road maintenance, materials, snow removal and deicing,” Marsic said. “It also is needed to pay our parttime road department employees, insurances, worker’s comp, and vehicle maintenance along the way.”

Montville is now in its third year of its Memorandum of Understanding with Geauga County. In that agreement, the county Engineer’s Office is used for the general road maintenance, snow removal and deicing. Marsic said they began contracting with the county in 2017 rather than hire another full-time road supervisor.

“The board of trustees feel that Montville Township has become more efficient and have accomplished a great amount of improvements not to mention keeping our current roads in good condition during this period,” Marsic said. “The County Engineer Department has been good to the township and assisted in numerous projects which we have little to no complaints of the work being performed from the board and or residents.”

Marsic said that because Montville is smaller than most other township in the county, using the engineer’s office works well. He said residents should keep in mind that the township still pays the county for all services and all materials provided by the county, no matter what the job is.

“It is not free and only the voters of Montville Township can decide if they would like to continue with this improvement and maintenance program or to go into a different direction, which may mean extensive cutbacks,” he said.

Montville currently has a 1-mill road and bridge levy that Marsic said is the only current levy residents pay. It was first passed 2009 and was most recently renewed by voters in November 2018.

In that same election, the township also asked voters to approve the 1.5-mill additional levy for streets, roads and bridges. The additional levy was defeated 492 to 375, according to official final results from the Geauga County Elections Board.

Marsic said the township has spent $350,143 from its road and bridges fund “solely for road improvements and maintenance since 2016.”

“With the road improvement project we are just completing on Hart Road this summer that number is sure to go up,” he said. “That is also on top of whatever (Ohio Public Works Commission) funding we get from the State.”

Marsic said a single estimation from the county Engineer’s Office for a different section of Hart Road (between Kile Road and Clay Street) they received for 1.3 miles of road work and repair would cost about $310,000.

Marsic said a single estimation received from the Geauga County Engineer’s Office for 1.3 miles of road work and repair on a different section of Hart Road (between Kile Road and Clay Street) would cost about $310,000.

“With the current annual budget, it will take several years of setting money aside to be able to afford the improvement project,” he said. “Even with the passage of this new additional levy, it will still take some time, but at least we would be able to keep our current roads in fairly good shape until we can do larger projects once again.”