PHOTO BY BRENNA WHITE / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
RESTARTING PROCESS … The North Central School Board met for a special meeting to withdraw the proposed school income tax levy from the May ballot after discovering a submission error.
By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
The North Central Local Schools Board of Education held a special meeting at 4 p.m. on April 8, 2026, to address an error involving a previously submitted earned income tax levy for the May ballot.
During the meeting, the board unanimously approved a resolution to withdraw the submission of the levy after discovering the ballot language did not reflect the board’s original intent.
Board member Kati Burt was appointed treasurer pro tempore for the meeting, while Treasurer Ryan Pendleton attended virtually and provided an explanation of the issue.
Pendleton said the board had originally approved a 1% earned income tax levy for a period of five years. However, during the submission process, the language was incorrectly filed as a 1% tax continuation with no specified term.
If not caught and the levy had been voted in by the people, there would have been no end date for the tax levy. This was not the board’s intent and was immediately addressed after discovery.
Pendleton outlined three possible courses of action for the board. The first option, amending the ballot language, was not legally permissible because the submitted resolution did not match the board’s original intent.
The second option was leaving the issue as it was incorrectly submitted, which could lead to potential legal complications if the levy was challenged. The third option was to withdraw the levy entirely from the May ballot.
The board ultimately chose to withdraw the measure, though the ballots have already been printed by the Board of Elections.
As a result, a special notice will be required to inform voters that the issue should no longer be considered. District officials indicated the levy will likely be reintroduced for the November ballot, this time with the correct language, which requires the district to restart the submission process.
“When we had originally put up the three-year, then the five-year, it was to try to do what’s best for the community as well as the district to meet our needs,” explained Burt. “It was my understanding that was what the purpose was.”
“The best transparency act would be to remove it,” agreed President John Huffman.
District officials emphasized their commitment to transparency throughout the situation, noting the importance of ensuring voters receive clear and accurate information as the levy is reconsidered for a future ballot.