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Wednesday, November 15, 2023 • Vol. 16 No. 13 • FREE
Emotions Run High over Jordak School Question
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By Ann Wishart ann@karlovecmedia.com Several residents voiced concerns about the proposed closing of Jordak Elementary School during the Cardinal Schools Board of Education meeting Nov. 8. Transportation issues, larger class sizes, exposure of younger children to high school students and possible loss of teachers were all targets of worried parents. They suggested the board provide more details about the proposed plan to house grades seven through 12 at the high school and kindergarten through grade six at the middle school. Superintendent Jack Cunningham said during his facilities update some renovation of the middle school could provide space for support services. When some residents objected no announcement has been made, board President Linda Smallwood said the board, superintendent and Treasurer Terry Armstrong are still examining the proposed plan. “(Cunningham) can’t make an announcement until we decide,” she said. If the board follows through with the downsizing, Cunningham said students from the lower grades would not ride buses with high school students. “There will be no intermingling,” he said, in response to a parent’s concerns. Smallwood said the board would vote on the proposal at the first board meeting in December and noted Cunningham emailed a presentation explaining the proposed changes to all Cardinal parents. One parent said the email was not enough. If the board votes in favor of abandoning Jordak, it will change the lives of many children, she said, recommending the administration make the message to parents more positive. Smallwood said the message is fiscally positive. “We don’t want to put another See Jordak • Page 4
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Two new Middlefield Village full-time police officers were sworn in at the Middlefield Village Council meeting Nov. 9. Robert Hamilton was “pinned” by his mother, Betty Hamilton, during the ceremony. Christopher Plantz was also hired during the meeting and will begin his employment in July.
Mayor Plans to Get Reappraisal Tax Dollars Back to Residents By Ann Wishart ann@karlovecmedia.com
Middlefield Village Mayor Ben Garlich said during the Nov. 9 council meeting he plans to make sure the village does not benefit from the “windfall” funds generated by the recent property reappraisal. “Any way we can get that money back to the residents, we’re going to do that,” he said, calling the residential property value increase “absolutely ludicrous.” “Those values are based on an anomaly,” Garlich said, pointing to the housing shortage that caused homes to sell higher than expected and the COVID-19 pandemic that motivated many homeowners to make improvements to their properties. A lot has changed since the last state-wide property reappraisal six years ago. “I know there are some legal requirements,” he said, adding, however, he objected to the state taking a number and making it the norm. Garlich said he had discussed
the financial ramifications with village Treasurer Nick Giardina when he received the letter from the Geauga County Budget Commission saying the village residential property values have increased 23.9%. He emphasized that figure only applies to the 10 mills of inside millage every property owner pays but does not vote on. The tax increase will bring about $137,000 per year to the village in property taxes, Garlich said. “We don’t need the extra money and we’re going to make sure we get it back to the residents,” he said. In most cases, council would decrease millage for one or more levies, such as a fire or road levy, so a resident’s total tax dollars going to the village stays about the same as in 2023. That does not include the 45% of inside millage that goes to Cardinal Schools. Garlich said he hasn’t heard if the school board plans to decrease millage on an outside levy to make residents whole.
Last week, at the budget commission’s recommendation, Geauga County Commissioners agreed to decrease two county levies to make the property value increase taxes less painful. “I appreciate what the county did to help relieve (county residents),” Garlich said. Geauga County will be receiving a windfall of $10 million from the property tax increase, according to Geauga County Auditor Chuck Walder, who sits on the budget commission with county Prosecutor Jim Flaiz and Treasurer Chris Hitchcock. In a phone conversation last week, Walder said about half of the county’s 21 entities have already taken steps to ensure property owners don’t suffer unduly from their property value increases. Walder has added a calculator to the Geauga County Auditor’s Office website to help residents determine how much their taxes will increase in 2024, but it does not include any levy changes trustees, councils or school districts might See Mayor• Page 4
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Middlef ield Community News from Middlefield, Parkman, Huntsburg and Surrounding Areas
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