Allen Twp. Levy forum set for Oct. 8

Residents of Allen Township will have opportunities to ask questions about a 1.5-mill, 5-year property tax levy that will be on the Nov. 5 ballot.
The township trustees have scheduled a public forum for Oct. 8 at 6 p.m. in the township office to answer questions about the levy, which will go for general operating expenses.
If passed, the levy is expected to generate about $143,400 annually, according to figures provided by the Ottawa County auditor’s office.
Ernest Cottrell, Jr., a trustee, said Allen Township has operated without a general operating levy but rising expenses and flat revenues forced the trustees to seek additional millage.
“We’ve put it off as long as we can,” he said. “It’s become extremely difficult to keep up. Our health care costs and other expenses have all been going up.”
The township lacks a significant commercial/industrial base, he said, but has more than 41 miles of township roads to maintain.
Sonia Eischen, township fiscal officer, said the township in recent years has had to tap the general fund to cover expenses that normally are paid for by other accounts, such as the police and road/bridge funds.
In addition to the routine coverage by the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, the township contracts with the sheriff for an additional 40 hours of coverage, Cottrell said.
Eischen said the trustees have been “very pro-active” in their use of grants from the Ohio Public Works Commission but those revenue sources often require local matches and are awarded competitively to entities that provide higher matches.
Cottrell also plans to attend voter forums Oct. 3 at the Genoa Branch Library and Oct. 15 at the Elmore Community Center to answer questions about the levy.
Both forums will be from 6-7:30 p.m.
Cottrell is also a candidate on the November ballot, seeking re-election against Michael C. Mann for one open seat on the board of trustees.