What's Happening in Lebanon, OH…

Over 56% of voters in the Lebanon school district rejected a new tax levy in the recent election, meaning the district will now have to figure out where to make cuts.

The Warren County Board of Elections posted the results as 2,917 votes against the levy, and 2,267 in favor of the measure.

Todd Yohey, the superintendent, said saying district officials were disappointed was an understatement. He explained that the message the district was trying to send was that they had spent taxpayer money wisely. He added that the district students are getting a good education, most of them are graduating, and they are involved in student activities, all without the district spending a great deal of money.

Unfortunately, he said, the failure of the levy means that the district will have to start deciding where to make cuts. Student activities, district personnel, and programs will all be affected. There is a chance the district could get the measure on the ballot again this November. Officials can use flyer printing to create appropriate materials to inform residents of the various aspects of measures like this.

One person explained that while he valued education, he disliked the idea of a property tax increase, which would hit people with properties like his 265-acre farm much harder than those with smaller homes. He added if the request was based on income, he would back it immediately.