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Volume 51, No. 26
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CHESTERLAND NEWS Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Your Community Newspaper Since 1967
No Replacement Chosen for Trustee Yet Budget, Levies, Resident Concerns Top Agenda By Beth Brown beth@geaugamapleleaf.com While Chester Township Trustees did not choose a replacement for former Trustee Bob Rogish or former Road Supervisor Mike Farrell, who both recently resigned, they did discuss budgeting and general township matters during their May 23 meeting. Craig Richter, financial officer, opened the meeting with a spreadsheet of the town’s projected budget. While the budget isn’t finalized
yet, as all township officials were not present at the meeting, trustees called several items into discussion. Richter explained the presentation was a temporary, non-final spreadsheet that was dependant on the numbers used last year and was a work-in-progress. Trustee Chairman Joeseph Mazzurco said the town was intending to use the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council grant they were provided to replace the air conditioning for the fire department in
Chestergram
order to reduce the out-of-pocket expense for the township. For the road department, Mazzurco said in light of the fact employees had been reduced from 11 to seven, trustees plan to continue to use the six trucks already owned by the department rather than replace them. There were no current plans to hire more road crew members until a new supervisor was appointed and could evaluate the capabilities of the current crew along with the responsibilities of the township’s road upkeep. Mazzurco said because there is currently only an interim secretary working roads, the township was considering hiring either one fulltime or two part-time individuals to fill the supervisor position. While the current road department budget shows excess funds, projections indicate it would be running into the red by 2021. Richter explained that while trustees made a motion last year to move 0.5 of inside millage back to the general fund, the county budget commission did not take action on that motion. As a result, the roads department continued to receive 2 mills rather than 1.5 mills. Responding to a concerned res-
ident’s question as to whether the town was running out of money within five years, Mazzurco said, “If you look at the red numbers, yes. But … every year, we have a little bit of a carryover in those numbers. 2022 might be a black number still if we have a little bit more of a carryover. This has been going on for years. When I was running in 2017, and they forecasted the stuff out to 2020, 21 and 22, the red numbers were already starting to appear then.” Trustees then decided to put the budget aside until all township officials could be present and more definite numbers could be presented. The recent passing of an additional fire and EMS levy was also brought up at the meeting, particularly the fact the new levy would be collected consecutively with the expiring levy, which was passed in 1980. Expiring levies continue to be collected for a full year past the date of their expiration. Chester would be collecting the new 2.75mill levy as well as the 0.5-mill expiring levy for 2020. Residents expressed concern See Trustees • Page 3
Chester Township Fire and EMS Levy Passes with a Narrow Margin Staff Report
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West Geauga Elects Prom Royalty As the 2018-19 school year draws to a close in the next few weeks, the senior class has announced a new prom queen and king. Seniors Jordyn Peterson and Mohammed Aidja were presented with the honors during prom weekend, which was held earlier in May. Peterson and Aidja were nominated and elected by their classmates to represent this year’s graduating class. SUBMITTED PHOTO
The Chester Township 2.75mill additional Fire and EMS levy passed with a total of 920, or 50.33 percent of the votes in favor of the levy, and 908, or 49.67 percent of the votes against the levy, according to the final official results of the Geauga County Board of Elections. Narrow margin notwithstanding, the Chester Township Trustees are pleased the measure passed.
“Thank you Chester residents, local officials, the fire chief and the committee,” said Trustee Joseph Mazzurco in response to the levy’s passing. The levy, once instated, will cost homeowners $96.25 per $100,000 of property valuation, according to the Geauga County Auditor’s Office. The annual recoupment for the fire department and EMS services is projected to be an estimated $1,019,000.
Notice
A public hearing will be held on June 20, 2019, 6:03 at Chester Town Hall for zoning amendment Z2019-3.
GCPL Kicks Off Summer with Reading Party for Geauga Youth See Page 4
Letters to the Editor See Page 7
Classifieds Start on Page 13
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