ROCK CREEK – Issue 2, a 1.5-mill, 10-year additional property tax levy to boost funding for the Rock Creek Public Library, passed by a nearly 60/40 ratio Tuesday.
According to unofficial results from the Ashtabula County Board of Elections, there were 249 votes in favor of Issue 2 (58.04 percent) and 176 votes against it (41.03 percent).
In the runup to the primary, levy supporters claimed state funding cuts and reductions in existing locally generated funds meant the library needed to stabilize its revenues, cover current expenses, maintain staff levels and preserve access to materials and programming for the community.
Sally Fell, president of the Rock Creek Public Library Board of Trustees, said the library has two primary revenue sources: an existing 1.5- mill levy that provides $110,000 of annual funding and expires in 2029; as well as $199,000 as part of the Ohio Public Library Fund (PLF).
“In 2024 and 2025, funding to Rock Creek Public Library was reduced when the Public Library Fund was cut and the 1.5-mill levy reset to its 2014 funding level,” she said. “The combination of both funding cuts has necessitated the current levy request. Passing the levy will stabilize funding for the library over the next decade and prevent reduction in library services to the community.”
Fell said she’s grateful to residents in the district for their strong backing for the library.
“I want to say thank you to the community,” she said. “I think with all the concerns and the rhetoric about property taxes, it shows the community believes in the Rock Creek Public Library, its mission and the services it provides. This will increase learning, literacy and lead to a stronger, more connected community.”
Issue 2 will go into effect in 2027 for taxes collected in 2026, expiring in 2036. The levy will cost property owners $46 per year for every $100,000 in taxable property value, or less than $4 per month. The levy will generate $136,911 per year.
