Should Portsmouth raise taxes to fix its damaged streets? At Monday’s Portsmouth City Council meeting, a proposed 1.5 mill levy is up for a first reading. The decision of whether or not to approve the tax would be left up to voters in the May 2022 election.
Pitiful Paving Progress
At a public hearing two months ago, Portsmouth City Engineer, Nathan Prosch, said only two miles of the city’s 98 miles of streets were resurfaced in 2021. He said progress at this rate is too slow. “If you look at the math, to do the whole 80 miles of asphalt, it would take 37 years. Which is pitiful.”
Prosch’s solution was a tax levy for road repair with funds dedicated only to street resurfacing.
Levy Could Raise $350,000
At the time, he suggested a 1.5 mill levy to generate $350,000 specifically for road resurfacing. Prosch explained how he came up with numbers for the proposed levy. “I reached out to the Scioto County Auditor and spoke with the Deputy Auditor and asked about how much a 1 mill levy would generate. It would generate approximately $236, 000.” Prosch said that would be in addition to the $400,000 already allotted with the city’s capital improvement plant budget.
While a public hearing was held to get input on the matter, no citizens spoke at the meeting despite multiple requests from council members for residents to comment and make suggestions.
Recovery Housing & Community Center Funds
Also on the agenda for Monday’s meeting are an amendment to the city charter banning new recovery housing and calling for a commission to oversee existing facilities and an agreement for the city to provide $40,000 in funding to the 14th Street Community Center.
At Monday’s City Manager conference, council members and City Manager Sam Sutherland will discuss an ordinance banning citizens from feeding stray animals as well as remediation plans for the former New Boston Coke property.
The meeting will take place Monday, December 6, at 6:00 p.m. at the Portsmouth Municipal Building.