COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Supreme Court on Friday rejected a request from the Ottawa Hills Local School District to override a Lucas County Board of Elections decision and place a tax levy on the November ballot.
The board in August rejected the 12.9-mill operating levy request Ottawa Hills because the submission had a typo in what the levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 home.
The court said in an opinion that the writ was denied due to multiple factors and that the board did not "abuse its discretion or act in disregard of applicable legal provisions when it refused to place the levy on the ballot."
"Requiring the board of elections to place the levy on the ballot would deny the public its full time under the statute to review the proposed levy, would impose additional costs and burdens on the board of elections, and would create uncertainty in the statutory election deadlines," the court's opinion states.
The court's opinion can be read in full below:
The court's denial could place Ottawa Hills under the state's watch, according to Superintendent Adam Fineske.
But, Fineske said the board did not notify the district of the levy rejection until a week after the filing deadline. He said the district would have fixed the mistake if given the opportunity.
The levy would have asked voters in November for an additional tax to start next year. Fineske said the issue provides vital funding to the district.
"When a school district is in fiscal watch or caution, the state gets involved," Fineske told WTOL 11 after the board rejected the levy request. "We will definitely be in that. We're not sure at what level, but they'll have to be some oversight and reporting to them."