Board members urge early work on income-tax options and PI levy as possible property-tax changes loom

The Perrysburg Exempted Village board spent much of its April 8 work session discussing school-finance strategy, with members urging immediate work on income-tax options and how those choices would interact with the district’s permanent-improvement (PI) levy.

Board member Miss Phillips said the board needs a refresher on the different income-tax options and to begin public education immediately so any income-tax proposal could meet ballot deadlines, especially if the state moves to change property-tax rules. “We need to start very soon talking about and getting everybody else… so that we could be on the ballot in time,” she said.

Members noted the PI levy recently renewed does not fully cover deferred maintenance and capital needs. A board member said some capital funds currently in the forecast could be designated as part of a PI package, and that decisions about operating levies, income tax and building projects are intertwined rather than discrete choices.

The chair said the board should prepare a public-education “lesson plan” about school finance to bring new members and voters up to speed. The goal is to develop a draft by the end of April for committee review and to use that as the basis for further outreach.

Board members discussed scheduling multiple finance workshops and possibly separating leadership orientation and finance work into different sessions so the group can both get to know the new superintendent, Mike, and do the “down-and-dirty” work on tax options and capital planning.

Next steps the board set: circulate a worksheet and notes for member input, ask committees to refine proposals, and schedule expanded work sessions to walk through income-tax options, PI levy implications and public-education materials.

The board did not take any formal vote on an income-tax proposal at the session; members agreed to continue work and to return with more concrete options at future meetings.