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EAST LIVERPOOL -- Residents will see a cemetery tax levy on the November ballot.
City council Monday night adopted a resolution to put the levy on the ballot for November's General Election for the operating cost of the Spring Grove Cemetery. Council Member Fred Rayl noted that City Auditor Marilyn Bosco mentioned in a previous Finance Committee meeting that the current funding is not adequate to operate the cemetery.
If the levy passes it will cost the homeowner approximately $17 annually for every $100,000 of property valuation.
Council also passed an ordinance authorizing the execution of a community reinvestment area agreement with True North ELO LLC and approved the company's request for a 15-year tax abatement for improvements to the property at 119 E. Fifth St., which they recently acquired.
The building, which has previously housed JCPenney and a bank data center before being utilized by Buckeye Online School for Success (BOSS), is a 31,000-square-foot office building which will undergo a significant remodeling as part of True North's $1 million investment.
True North, which purchased the building in March, is leasing space back to BOSS which enables the school to remain located in the downtown area.
True North will begin paying property taxes on the building immediately based on the current value of it. The city had not previously been receiving taxes for the property as it was
tax-exempt due to it being a public school.
"This is a win for the City of East Liverpool and for True North," Chuck Bailey, founder and CEO of True North, said. "This is an important step, but there is still work to be done. We have made it clear that we are looking for a new home but there are still a few gaps in financing that need to be filled before we can move to the next step."
Bailey noted that True North, an accounting and business services outsourcing firm based in Chester, West Virginia, has outgrown its current facility. With a team of 55 full-time staff members, the company is seeking a permanent home to accommodate its existing team and an additional 20-plus staff members expected to be hired over the next 24 months.
Other ordinances passed by council include authorizing the city to enter into an agreement with Premier Bank as the city's depository and amending the budget ordinance by adjusting appropriations.
The East Liverpool City Council meet the first Monday of each month at 6 p.m. in council chambers at East Liverpool City Hall. The next regular meeting is scheduled for July 1.