(PHOTO BY JESSE DAVIS / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
EDUCATION INCOME TAX … CFO/Treasurer Leland Hays, left, addresses the Pike-Delta York Local School District Board of Education on the subject of its ballot language for a replacement tax levy to be voted on in November. The new tax would only be levied on earned income, with retirement income such as Social Security payments untaxed.
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
The Pike-Delta-York Local School District will ask voters to approve a replacement tax levy in November after approving ballot language during a special meeting of the Board of Education Tuesday afternoon.
The new levy would replace the existing traditional income tax levy of 1 percent with a 1.25 percent earned income tax.
Earned income tax levies help those on fixed incomes like Social Security, as they would not have to pay the tax. The .25 percent increase in the tax ensures the district would raise the same amount they did with the traditional income tax levy.
According to CFO/Treasurer Leland Hays, the next steps in the process are having the state Tax Commissioner’s Office certify the request, another vote by the board to pass the certified resolution, and the submission of the request to the county to be placed on the November ballot.
“The change will be revenue neutral and provide relief for those in the community on a fixed income,” Hays said. “If passed, when the current income tax expires Dec. 31, 2026, it will transition to the 1.25 percent earned Jan. 1, 2027.”
According to the Ohio Department of Taxation, earned income includes employee wages earned as well as net earnings received from self-employment, but not retirement income.
SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH
The board ended the public portion of the meeting by going into executive session for the purpose of interviewing two candidates for superintendent; to replace outgoing Superintendent Jon Burke, whose resignation is effective at the end of this month.
Burke has accepted a new position as the high school principal for Anthony Wayne Local Schools.
According to Board President Jackie Chiesa, no action was expected immediately following the executive session, with a discussion planned to decide whether they will hire one of the candidates or continue accepting applications and interviewing new candidates.
Another special meeting will be held but has not yet been scheduled to continue the interviews or officially select Burke’s successor.
The next regular meeting of the Pike-Delta-York Local School District Board of Education will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 6, at the board’s office, located at 504 Fernwood Street in Delta.