They admitted they don’t know what the cost to taxpayers will be, but that didn’t stop the Oxford Village Council last week from approving a resolution supporting cityhood.
‘We don’t know what the cost’s going to be,? said Councilman Tom Benner. ?(No longer paying the township operating tax of) 0.95 mills is a savings, but what’s the potential cost (of cityhood)? I think the residents really need to know what it’s going to cost ? if it’s going to be 1? mills or 2 mills to provide everything we need to provide.?
By a vote of 3-1, council approved a resolution formally supporting the ‘cityhood process? as the ‘last step? to ‘control our own destiny.?
But council members Chris Bishop, who voted against the motion, and Benner want to know exactly what cityhood will cost and have that information provided to both council and the public.
‘Are we going to get the actual numbers of what it will really cost the residents to become a city and what it will save?? Benner asked.
‘Not only do I think it’s important that the public know, it would be kind of nice if I did,? Bishop said.
At the May 3 public hearing on cityhood held by the state Boundary Commission at Oxford Middle School, village Manager Joe Young presented estimates that the village could perform the functions the township does for it now ? such as assessing, elections for national, state, county and schools, and collection of county and school taxes ? for $25,200 per year.
Young said these additional costs could possibly be ‘absorbed? within the existing budget, but if a tax increase were necessary, he estimated it to be 0.19 mill, which is cheaper than the township’s 0.95 mill.
‘We can provide the same services at less dollars,? he said, adding that tax dollars in a city ‘would stay within our boundaries? rather than ‘being spread throughout the whole 36 square miles? of the township.
Young noted that the 0.95 mill village residents pay to the township ? which equals $142,249 including the $16,417 captured by the Downtown Development Authority ? also pays for a supervisor, clerk, treasurer and their respective staffs.
‘All those services that we already have,? the manager noted.
Young’s estimates did not include what it will cost the village to maintain the township cemetery within its boundaries on the north side of W. Burdick St. The new city would be required to take ownership of it.
Despite Young’s rough numbers, Benner said, in his opinion, the cost issue ‘was not presented properly? at the boundary commission hearing.
Benner criticized the cityhood committee, which was established in May 2003, for not having all the costs already calculated and ready for public consumption.
‘This issue has been talked about and there’s been a cityhood committee for several years now,? he said. ‘I feel they could have had time to get this information out to the public.?
Council President George Del Vigna argued the May 3 hearing was about determining if the village meets the legal criteria to become a city, not future costs.
‘It had nothing to do with (whether) we’re going to spend more or less money,? he said.
Township Supervisor Bill Dunn, who lives in the village on Dennison Street, disagreed with the assertion cityhood will cost village residents less money.
‘You say it’s gonna be less,? he told council. ‘Well, we have two studies that say it’s going to be more.?
Dunn was referring to former village Clerk Christine Burns research paper and a five-year-projection the township hired an auditing firm to conduct. Both indicated cityhood will cost village residents more, he said.
Councilman Dave Bailey argued the real issue is not cost, it’s services.
‘Historically, having a Village of Oxford has not been about saving money,? he said. ‘Historically, having a Village of Oxford has been about getting superior services . . . at a moderate increase in cost.?
‘My view of cityhood is it’s just the village written in capital letters,? Bailey explaiend. ‘Now we’re going to spell it C-I-T-Y. We’re gonna get even better services at either the same cost or maybe, maybe ? don’t let the voters hear this ? maybe at a very slight increase in cost.?
Benner disagreed with the ‘superior? part.
‘I don’t believe we can guarantee that we will get superior services,? he said. ‘I think we’ve got great services already for our taxpayers, but I don’t believe by becoming a city that we will have superior services for our residents.?