City Leaders discuss importance of two renewal levies on May ballot
On May 6, voters in Salem will decide on two renewal levies.
The first, a .25 percent streets and public sidewalks income tax levy, which after a decade has allowed the city to repave 69 percent of it's roads. 100 percent of these funds go strictly to streets and sidewalks.
83-percent of funds generated from a separate one-percent income tax goes toward safety forces, leaving little capital to work with for the city's infrastructure, simultaneously underscoring the need for renewal.
"You have 64 miles of streets, 40-some miles of alleyways as well as sidewalks, there is not much left." said Cyndi Dickey, mayor of Salem.
Prior to becoming mayor in 2022, Dickey was a long-time councilwoman, representing the fourth ward, she tells 21 News she lobbied to put streets and public sidewalks on the ballot in 2015.
In that time, of our 64 miles of streets, we have paved 44.8 miles of those streets, so we have really made that money stretch at a time when the cost of paving has gone sky high." the mayor explained.
"Those roadways had terrible potholes ten years ago. You couldn't drive down the street without having a family member upset because you were bump, bump, bump, bump and hurting your car. We don't have that now." Dickey stated.
Dickey, along with other city leaders, and members of both political parties in Columbiana County held a press conference Friday to discuss these levies, which voters were seemingly split on the last time the levy was up for renewal. In addition, to reminding folks these are levies are renewals and not additional. Dickey tells 21 News that a failure of this levy would be roadblock in the way of continuous improvements, and maintenance.
"The money we would have left out of our budget would pretty much just fill potholes and maybe not even that." Dickey said.
The other renewal on the ballot, a one-mill park department operational levy. As the title suggests, the $249,000 it generates annually goes toward maintaining, and improving the city's six parks, employee wages, equipment, park-related events that are free-of-charge, etc.
"It's $26.40 for every $100,000 of property value." said Kelli Pastore, the Parks' director for the city of Salem.
Pastore also emphasized that Lincoln Plaza is not a park, but rather a city-owned green space made possible through grant funding. She too, says this renewal is also crucial.
"We already operate on a very small budget, it would be shoestring at that point." said Pastore, adding that they would be relegated to focusing on maintenance, upkeep and no additional activities.
