My very conservative town voted down the school levy renewal…. Which does not result in people’s property taxes going down because the district is already at state minimum. Lol.
Literally can’t make this shit up. Pardon my French, but average resident here is a fucking moron.
Letter from the Troy Board of education to all residents of the community. Got this in my email today.
Troy residents:
We are writing following the failure of the 5.8-mill renewal levy on May 5. While we are disappointed by this outcome, we are determined to listen carefully to your concerns, address the issues that led to this result, and work to secure the vital support our students need.
Several factors contributed to the levy’s defeat. Across Ohio, there has been widespread discussion about the appropriateness of relying on property taxes to fund public schools. In Miami County, recent increases in property valuations have driven higher tax bills for many homeowners. In the current economic climate, residents are rightly concerned about the overall cost of living. We fully understand these pressures are real and empathize with the challenges many families in Troy are facing.
That empathy and concern for our residents is why, in December 2025, we approved a reduction in the district’s property tax millage rate by 1.26 mills for Tax Year 2025 (payable in calendar year 2026). This action, taken in partnership with the Miami County Budget Commission due to growth in unvoted inside millage and the 20-mill floor property values, will result in the district forgoing approximately $1,632,814 in revenue, providing tax relief to local property owners.
In order to maintain the high-quality education for our students that you have come to expect from the Troy City Schools, we will again place the 5.8 mill renewal levy on the November ballot. The $4.6 million generated annually has supported the daily operations of our schools since the levy was first put on the ballot in 1996 and has been renewed every five years. These resources are essential to maintaining our current programs and high-quality education. In the meantime, this failure will not affect our day-to-day operations; there will be no interruptions in the services we provide to our students. Should the levy fail again in November, we will be forced to re-examine our budget and make the difficult adjustments necessary for our future affecting both students and staff.
We also recognize that we must do a better job communicating how school funding works in Troy. The recent bond issue approved in 2024 by voters will fund the construction of new school facilities. Importantly, these capital funds cannot be used for the current operational expenses covered by the renewal levy; the two are separate and cannot be interchanged.
In Ohio, every school district must have at least 20 mills of local property taxes. This is called the “20-mill floor.” For example: the state says schools need a minimum amount of local tax money (20 mills), if the total drops below that, the district automatically keeps collecting enough to stay at 20 mills. Troy is at that 20-mill floor.
Because we are already at the floor, here’s what happens with your taxes:
The reason we are running this renewal levy is because businesses are taxed differently than residential property. We would lose approximately $1,535,237.00 from business property taxes if the levy does not pass.
Passing the renewal levy will not raise your taxes.
Not passing the renewal levy will not loweryour taxes.
If it is not renewed, the base stays locked at 20 mills - your overall tax bill does not go down.
Thank you for your many years of steadfast support for Troy City Schools. With your continued partnership, we remain committed to delivering the excellent education our students deserve and our community expects.
Sincerely,
The Troy Board of Education