MORGAN TOWNSHIP – In November, voters in Morgan Township will be asked to renew a five-year, 1.5-mill levy for township-maintained roads and bridges.
The area affected by the levy is Morgan Township but excludes the Village of Rock Creek and the portion of the Village of Roaming Shores inside the township.
According to Ashtabula County Auditor Scott Yamamoto, the levy was originally passed by voters in 2017, was renewed in 2022 and will – if approved again – begin collection in 2027.
The levy generates $28,775 in annual revenue and costs a homeowner in Morgan Township $36 for every $100,000 in taxable property value, according to Yamamoto.
As a renewal levy, the Morgan Township roads and bridges levy is not a tax increase and will not affect property taxes if approved.
“The revenue generated by this levy helps to pay for the supplies and materials used in the daily operations,” Bob Martin, chair of the Morgan Township Board of Trustees, said. “Stone and emulsions are a big chunk of materials. It also helps to cover other road materials, such as culverts and ice control in the winter. When operating equipment on a daily basis, there will be the usual maintenance and repair costs associated with the equipment. Revenue from this levy helps to pay for these additional expenses.”
“In 2017 we started a road improvement plan where each year we are turning portions of our gravel roads into a semi-hard surface road with placement of a cold mix that is rolled down,” Martin continued. “It’s a yearly ongoing project, but we have made very good progress with it. The road and bridge levy helps to fund this project. Morgan Township has also used (Ohio Public Works Commission) for road improvements and the road and bridge levy helps to pay our portion to the state OPWC.
“The levy also will help us to set aside some money for equipment purchases down the road. Nothing lasts forever and the prices are not getting any cheaper. In December of 2025 we were able to add an additional plow truck with a spreader to our fleet. We also have a new salt spreader ordered for one of our other trucks making it a complete truck rather than just a truck and plow.”
