GIBSONBURG, OH (WTOL) - Gibsonburg Schools is asking their voters to approve a slight tax increase on the upcoming May Ballot, even though the district is supposed to see new money come in from a major pipeline project.
The Gibsonburg Income Tax Levy will replace a current 3/4 percent income tax that expires this December. The new income tax would raise the rate to a full 1 percent to offset recent budget shortfalls from the state.
"Since I have been superintendent for 3 years, we have lost $2.2 million. next year we will lose another $200,000, so it's going to be $2.4 million over the last to biannual budgets, " said Tim Murray, superintendent for Gibsonburg Schools
But Gibsonburg administration is worried voters think the school district will soon be receiving a major windfall from Nexus pipeline tax dollars. But according to the district treasurer, those projections are exaggerated, and the district cannot rely on money that is not guaranteed to come in.
And they need this levy approved to maintain the current level of school programming.
"Along with that, it could take us about 4 years to start receiving any funding from the Nexus pipeline," said Gibsonburg schools treasurer John Kahmann
The school district will hold their next public meeting on the levy on May 2nd at Gibsonburg High School.
