GREENVILLE – As a local government, we are charged with providing our citizens with all the necessary services they have come to expect … Police and fire protection with quick response times; the paving of our streets as well as the maintenance of the rest of our infrastructure; snow and ice control of our streets so we can get around after a snowstorm; the upkeep of our parks and our public swimming pool; our downtown Christmas decorations … just to name several that come out of our general operating fund.
As an administration and as a City Council, it’s all our responsibility to promote the overall health, welfare, and safety of our community and to provide those services. We also must be prepared, as any household must be, for any uncontrollable events and emergencies that can take place, such as last year’s tornado. It’s imperative that we continue to keep a strong carryover balance from year to year and not just be satisfied in meeting today’s needs.
We must be prepared financially for the future of our city as well. Very recently we completed our update to our City’s Comprehensive Plan. That’s a long-range planning document, a plan of action so to speak, which outlines the city’s vision, goals, objectives, policies, and strategies for the future growth of our community.
Regarding the upcoming renewal levy on the May 6 ballot, yes, it’s indeed obvious to us all that a good number of Greenville’s citizens are on fixed incomes, and we all are facing increases in their electric and gas bills, in trash pickup, in water and sewer rates, gas prices, groceries and insurance premiums.
It must be realized, however, that the City of Greenville faces these same levels of increases in spending to continue to provide the services I just mentioned. The question was asked if it’s truly needed. Yes, it is.
To be clear, if this renewal levy fails to pass on Tuesday, May 6, it will mean about $384,000 lost to our General operating fund, and without question, we’ll be forced to reduce some of these services provided to our residents.
Just for the record, of the full amount of any Darke County Real Estate Tax bill this year, only 10.16% of it is distributed to the City of Greenville.
When we had a decline in City Income Tax receipts in 2024, we were very proactive in directing all our department heads to reduce their budget requests for 2025, and they have done so.
Our City Auditor’s office and our administration have always kept a strong watch and have been most judicious in spending, watching every dime of our hard-earned taxpayer dollars, striving to remain financially strong as a city. Because of this diligence, our General Operating Fund remains healthy and can remain so with the passing of this renewal levy on Tuesday, May 6.
