BEXLEY, Ohio-Taxpayers in Bexley are questioning a $6 million land acquisition by Bexley City Schools as they prepare to vote on a five-year school levy (Issue 36) aimed at funding operational expenses. The incremental levy will raise 5 mills in the first year and 2.5 mills in the following years, necessary for salaries, supplies, and maintenance, as the district faces a projected cash shortfall by 2028. The land, purchased for future expansion of academic buildings and sports fields, was bought with funds from a 2016 permanent improvement levy, which cannot be used for operational costs. The district argues that the two funding issues are separate, although the land was bought for significantly more than its spring sale price of $2.25 million and below its auditor’s valuation of $10.18 million.
