Prairie Township tax plan rejected

Thursday, August 04, 2005

Leah Rupp

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Prairie Township’s attempt to raise taxes without voter approval next year was rejected yesterday by Franklin County budget officials, who questioned trustees’ spending of almost $270,000 for outside legal assistance.

The trustees had planned to use the tax, which would have raised about $425,000 a year, to pay for road improvements. Instead, trustees will pay for the improvements out of the general fund.

The case the township presented for the tax "didn’t demonstrate a need," said county Auditor Joe Testa, who heads the Franklin County Budget Commission. The commission oversees township budgets.

State law allows local governments to collect up to 10 mills in taxes without asking for voter approval, although those so-called "inside" mills are shared by all taxing bodies within a jurisdiction, including school districts, adjoining municipalities and the county.

The inside millage is exempt from state rollbacks, which means that as property values rise through reappraisals every three years, tax bills also go up.

As municipalities annex township land, less inside millage is available for the township to collect for unincorporated areas.

The township had hoped to use all 1.6 mills available to cover its budget next year. The tax would have cost the owner of a $100,000 home $49 per year.

"We’re still trying to unravel why they said no," said township Administrator Tracy Hatmaker, who came up with the idea to raise taxes.

Despite the county’s decision, township officials aren’t worried about how to pay for the improvements.

"It’s not like we’re in the red — the budget is balanced," said Trustee Teresa Keller. "I guess we’ll just have to pull from the general fund."

Testa said the budget commission based its decision on a weak presentation and unclear answers to commissioners’ questions about the legal fees.

The Franklin County prosecutor’s office could have represented the township for free, he said.

"Why not use the prosecutor’s office for legal support? They didn’t really give any indication they had even considered that possibility," Testa said.

The township has had a contract since 2003 with Peter Griggs, of Loveland & Brosius, who serves as its law director. The contract is up on Dec. 31.

Hatmaker said some of the high legal fees cover sewer and water concerns that the township has been dealing with for more than two years.

"I’m definitely willing to talk about other options," said Keller, who voted to request the extra tax.

In May, Prairie Township residents approved a 4-mill replacement levy for fire protection that will raise $1.1 million a year.

"We were just hit," said Neil Distelhorst, of Galloway, who says the problem with the latest tax proposal is that trustees weren’t open with the public.

"There are lots of things that just don’t smell right about this."

Truro Township also submitted an inside-millage request and was granted 0.05 mills to go toward its general fund, which could raise $23,071 per year. It will cost the owner of a $100,000 home $1.50 per year.

lrupp@dispatch.com