York Township fire, EMS levy withdrawn over filing error

YORK TWP. — A filing error reportedly stemming from the Medina County Prosecutor's Office has forced York Township to withdraw its fire and EMS ballot issue from November's general election ballot. According to York Township and the prosecutor's office, legislation mistakenly sent out for final certification was an early draft that didn't contain language allowing proceeds to be spent on fire department needs, only EMS. The ballot issue was slated to cover five years and contain a 3-mill fire and EMS levy renewal as well as a 1.9-mill addition. According to York Township, the addition would have brought in $326,000 annual revenue to go along with $412,000 that's been collected each year under the 3-mill measure. The addition would have cost property owners $66.50 per $100,000 of valuation on top of roughly $72 paid each year on three mills. Township Fiscal Officer Peggy Russell said funds on hand allow for regular fire and EMS operations for the next year and that the levy will probably be on the primary election ballot next spring. "When the trustee went to the prosecutor with the levy language request, he asked that the language be as inclusive as possible, making sure we could do things for fire and EMS," she said. "The prosecutor form came back with some issues with the codes, things like an 'I' instead of a 'U.' The levy language didn't match the first resolution. If it passed we weren't going to be able to spend it as we wished." "If you look down in the small print, there was just ambulance stuff and that was not caught," Russell added. "It was very specific just to EMS." Medina County Prosecutor Forrest Thompson said his office has acknowledged the error in ensuing talks with the township. "There were a series of drafts of the levy language that were going back and forth between my office and the township," he said. "It appears when the levy language was sent over in its final format it was close to the deadline and one of the drafts was sent instead of the finished copy. It is what it is. We were forthright with the township. We found the mistake. Steps were taken to rectify that." The Medina County Board of Elections officially accepted the ballot issue's withdrawal Tuesday. While recent attempts at a York Township road levy have been rejected by voters, officials said community feedback on the fire and EMS ballot issue was encouraging. "It seemed like it was something people wanted," said Trustee Bill Pavlick. "We planned for this to be on the ballot a year early, so we still have time to put it out in the spring. I'd say it's absolutely the intent to put it on the primary ballot next year." "This was going to allow us to be more fully staffed," Russell said. "That was the point of it, to move in the direction to have more for payroll and to reduce our run times so we don't have to wait for the firefighters to arrive at the station first. We sent out a survey to see if there was community support and the responses seemed to support favor of additional staffing." Contact reporter Jonathan Delozier at (330) 721-4050 or jdelozier@medina-gazette.com.