With the Nov. 3 election closing in, the Summit County Board of Elections released a list of issues county municipalities will see on their ballots.
Included are charter amendments, zoning amendments and proposed levies.
Here's an overview of key issues to be decided. For a full list of the issues appearing on ballots, click here, or visit the Summit County Board of Elections website here: https://www.boe.ohio.gov/summit/ and click on "90 Day Issue Synopsis 11-3-2026."
So far, Barberton, Stow and Mogadore village all have charter amendments on the ballot. The deadline for charter amendments is Sept. 4, according to the Summit County Elections Calendar.
The first would amend Article 7 of the Barberton City Charter with a new section allowing for nonpartisan elections.
Next is a proposed amendment removing the stipulation from the Barberton City Charter requiring that six places in the city be used for public postings to notify residents of resolutions, ordinances, statements, measures, orders, proclamations and reports should Barberton City Council choose to inform the public of those things via public postings.
Lastly is an amendment to require the parks and recreation department to report directly to the public service director and allow the Parks and Recreation Commission to serve in an advisory capacity.
Stow also has three charter amendments up for consideration.
The first proposed amendment would stipulate that only the City Council president can become mayor in the event that the mayor is temporarily unable to perform their duties. Should the council president, acting as mayor, become temporarily unable to perform their duties, then, under the amendment, council would select one of its members by majority vote to fulfill the role of mayor.
The second amendment would create section 6.08, designating the general division assistant director as the acting finance director if the finance director is temporarily incapable of performing their duties. If the general division assistant director position is vacant while the finance director can't perform their duties, the mayor will appoint an acting finance director from inside the finance department, who will serve until the finance director can resume their duties.
The third amendment would create section 9.07. If passed, it would stipulate that the deputy law director be made acting law director if the law director is temporarily unable to perform their duties. If the position of deputy law director is vacant when the law director is indisposed, the mayor would appoint an acting law director from inside the law department until the law director can resume their duties.
Four charter amendments have been proposed in the village of Mogadore.
The first would clarify the circumstances under which the City Council president or other council member would be required to serve as acting mayor and/or preside over council meetings.
The second proposed charter amendment would reduce the number of members on the village's zoning appeals board from seven to five.
The third proposed amendment asks voters whether the charter should require that all ordinances and resolutions adopted by the village council be published by posting copies of the adopted legislation on the village's website within five days of the effective date, and remain on the website for no less than five years.
Lastly is an amendment proposing the elimination of the appointed office of clerk-treasurer, and creating the appointed offices of fiscal officer, to perform the fiscal functions of the village, and clerk, to perform the municipal clerk functions of the village.
Nine Summit County communities have property tax levies on their ballots: Boston Heights, the Village of Mogadore, Bath Township, Copley Township, Coventry Township, Northfield Center Township, Springfield Township, Twinsburg Township and Munroe Falls.
In addition to several property tax levies, Boston Heights ballots will include a proposed income tax increase of .25% to pay for a safety service center for the police department and village administrative offices, updates to the current fire station, and expenses for the operation of the fire and police departments.
Voters will decide a proposed tax renewal to pay for street, road, and bridge projects that the county fiscal office estimates will collect $237,772 annually at a rate of 2.75 mills. It would cost a homeowner $61 for every $100,000 of the property's valuation annually for five years.
Voters will be asked to renew a .75 mill tax benefiting the fire department. The county fiscal office estimates it will collect $64,847 annually, costing a homeowner $17 for every $100,000 of a home's valuation annually for three years.
Mogadore Village voters will see a proposed renewal of a 3.5-mill tax and an increase of 1.23-mills for the purpose of paying the fire department, EMS, administrative, and communications personnel.
The county fiscal officer estimates it will collect $500,686 annually at a rate of 4.73 mills. It would cost a homeowner $135 for each $100,000 of a home's valuation annually for five years.
Bath Township voters will consider renewing a 2-mill tax and an increase of 1.4-mills for street, road and bridge projects.
The county fiscal officer estimates the tax will collect $2,294,616 annually at a rate of 3.4 mills. It would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $94 annually for five years.
In Copley Township, an additional 1.7-mill tax for the benefit of the fire department will appear on the ballot. The county fiscal officer estimates the tax will collect $1,378,825 annually. It would cost a homeowner $60 for every $100,000 of the property's valuation annually for three years.
First is a renewal of a 3.25-mill tax benefiting the fire department. The county fiscal officer estimates it will collect $942,573 annually, and would cost the homeowner $80 for every $100,000 of the home's valuation annually for five years.
Next is a partial renewal of an existing levy, effectively a .25-mill reduction. It would support operations of the township under its existing police contract with the Summit County Sheriff. The county fiscal office estimates the tax will collect $1,353,006 annually, at a rate of 4.75 mills. It would cost a homeowner $115 for every $100,000 of the home's valuation annually for five years.
Third is a proposed renewal of a .95-mill tax to pay for the township's expenses. The county fiscal officer estimates the tax will collect $275,521 annually, at a rate of 0.95 mills. The tax would cost a homeowner $23 for every $100,000 of a property's valuation annually for five years.
Last is a proposed renewal of a 2.5-mill road improvement tax. The county fiscal officer estimates it will collect $725,056 annually. It would cost a homeowner $62 for every 100,000 of the property's valuation annually for five years.
Northfield Center Township voters will be asked to decide on an additional 2-mill tax that the county fiscal officer estimates will collect $485,312 annually for roads and bridges.
It would cost a homeowner $70 for every $100,000 of the home's valuation annually for five years.
In Springfield Township, voters will be asked to vote on replacing an expiring 2-mill tax for fire department purposes.
The county fiscal officer estimates will collect $786,001 annually, at a rate of 1.9 mills. The tax would cost a homeowner $67 for every $100,000 of the property's valuation each year continuing basis, commencing in 2026 and first due in calendar year 2027.
Voters in Twinsburg Township will be asked to decide on an additional 1.69-mill tax to pay for streets, roads and bridges.
The county auditor estimates it will collect $412,593 annually. It would cost a homeowner $59 for every $100,000 of the home's valuation each year on a continuing basis, beginning in 2026 and first due in calendar year 2027.
Munroe Falls voters will be asked to decide about a 2-mill levy to replace any expiring 2-mill tax to be used for street, road and bridges project.
The county fiscal officer estimates it would collect $342,816 annually. It would cost a homeowner $70 for every $100,000 of a home's valuation annually for 10 years.
Among other community issue on the ballot:
Hudson voters will decide whether to grant the city to aggregate retail natural gas load located in the city and enter into service agreements to facilitate the sale and purchase of those natural gas loads, and for aggregation to occur automatically for eligible local utility customers except where someone is under contract or elects to opt out.
Stow voters will decide whether to increase the compensation of the mayor to a base annual salary of $100,000, a 24% increase; the compensation of the law director to a base annual salary of $100,000, a 23% increase; and the compensation of the finance director to a base annual salary of $100,000, a 23% increase.
In the village of Peninsula, voters will be asked to decide whether Peninsula bans short-term home rentals, except when the owner is residing on site at the time of the rental.
Contact reporter Derek Kreider at [email protected] or 330-541-9413.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Summit County voters will decide these levies, issues on Nov. 3 ballot