Mentor City Manager Confident Voters Will Renew Fire Levy

City Manager Ken Filipiak relies on history when he considers the chances of Mentor residents renewing a fire levy in November.

"The City of Mentor has a long history of supporting levies when they have seen the benefit to the community," he said. "This is one of them."

Filipiak said the city will place a 1.5-mill renewal levy on the ballot later this year in order to continue bringing about $1 million or 10 percent of the Mentor Fire Department's budget.

Voters overwhelmingly approved an income tax renewal in March 2012, and Filipiak is confident that a similar result is possible for the fire levy.

"I think the community has come to appreciate that we probably have the best emergency services in Northeast Ohio," he said. "We have been able to retain our manpower and equipment to operate five stations.

"The proof in that is in the effectiveness of our fire service."

The owner of a $100,000 home pays $21.92 per year for the levy. The levy has been on a five-year renewal cycle for decades.

The city manager also spoke directly to voters who might have doubts in these early stages.

"If you have come to appreciate the quality and care that Mentor Fire provides and wish to sustain that, you'll want to renew it," Filipiak said. "It doesn't frankly bring in a lot of money and the city has done everything we can do to keep costs down, that's why you don't see this as a replacement."

Mentor City Council passed a resolution last week requesting the Lake County Auditor to certify the total current tax valuation for the city and the amount of revenue that would be generated by the renewal. Council will wait on that figure before making the levy official with the board of elections.