The Portsmouth City Auditor is asking City Council to move forward with getting a street paving levy ready for the November ballot.
What’s going on?
Council is being asked to start the process by passing a resolution. This would ask the Scioto County Auditor to figure out two things:
- The current value of all property in the city
- How much money the city would bring in if the paving levy is renewed or replaced
This step is required before the levy can officially be put on the ballot.
Why does this matter?
The city uses this levy to pay for street paving. The current levy has helped bring in:
- About $373,000 in 2023
- About $378,000 in 2024
- About $397,000 in 2025
- Expected to bring in around $400,000 in 2026
That funding has helped the city keep up its yearly street resurfacing work.
But the current levy runs out after 2027. If the city wants to keep paving streets at the same level, voters will need to approve a renewal for another five years.
What Council needs to do now:
Right now, Council isn’t voting on the levy itself. They’re just deciding whether to:
- Move forward with preparing the paperwork to get it on the ballot
- Change the request
- Do nothing
- Reject it entirely