Upper Arlington homeowners would pay about $8.50 more per $100,000 of home value each year for police and fire pensions if voters approve Issue 34 on Nov. 3.
The ballot measure would renew the city's existing 0.89-mill property tax levy and add 0.24 mills, bringing the total to 1.13 mills. The current levy expires after the 2026 tax year. If approved, the renewal and increase would cover tax years 2027 through 2031, with property owners first paying it in 2028, as reported by NBC4.
All proceeds would fund the city's required contributions to the Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund, which provides retirement and disability benefits for officers and firefighters. Ohio law requires Upper Arlington to contribute 19.5% of police wages and 24% of firefighter wages to the fund, whether or not voters approve the levy.
The city has used voter-approved property tax levies to meet that obligation for 50 years, according to both the city and NBC4.
What homeowners would pay
Before tax credits, the city estimates the levy would cost about $26 per $100,000 of home value annually. For a $500,000 home, that comes to about $130 per year.
Eligible homeowners would pay less. The renewal portion retains Ohio's property tax rollback credits, which reduce the bill. With those credits applied, the city estimates $23.71 per $100,000 of home value, or $118.55 for a $500,000 home, according to the city's Issue 34 page.
Those figures reflect only this levy, not a homeowner's entire property tax bill. The estimates use the county auditor's appraised market value. Property taxes are based on 35% of that appraised value, which may differ from a home's sale price.
What the levy would generate
The proposed 1.13-mill levy is expected to bring in about $2.2 million annually, according to the city. The renewal portion would maintain roughly $1.5 million in yearly collections. The added 0.24 mills would raise about $700,000 to cover anticipated growth in pension costs over the next five years.
About 8% of the property taxes Upper Arlington residents pay goes to the city, including the pension levy, according to the city.
What happens if it fails
If Issue 34 fails, the existing levy would expire, but the city would still owe its pension contributions under state law, compared with passage. Upper Arlington says covering that cost without the levy would leave about $2.2 million less available each year for other city operations.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
