Fate of new fire station on May 3 ballot

The May 3 Primary Election will decide the statewide, county, U.S. Congressional and judicial candidates who will advance to the Nov. 8 General Election. Voters will also decide on candidates for Democratic County Central Committee members.

Ohio State House, State Senate and State Central Committee contests will not be on the ballot. There will be a Primary Election for Ohio State House, State Senate and State Central Committee members on a date that has yet to be announced.

The Cuyahoga Board of Elections is encouraging voters to take advantage early in-person voting at the Board of Elections, 2925 Euclid Ave. Voting hours can be found at 443vote.us.

Fire station

Voters in Broadview Heights will also have their say as to whether the city’s charter should be amended to raise city taxes to allow the city to build a proposed $10.2 million fire station.

The proposed 27,500-square-foot station would replace the existing station located near the intersection of Broadview and Oakes roads adjacent to the city campus. The city’s second fire station, on East Wallings Road across from Joyce Drive, would remain operational.

The ballot issue asks voters to support a “tax renewal and increase from 4.2 mills to a rate not exceeding 5.8 mills for each one dollar of tax valuation for the purpose of providing funds to pay costs of operating, and providing necessary facilities and equipment for a full-time fire and emergency medical service, including debt charges on any securities issued for such facilities and equipment, commencing in tax year 2022, first due in calendar year 2023.”

If approved, property owners will pay up to $56 a year in additional taxes for each $100,000 of property valuation. Landowners currently pay $147 annually for each $100,000 of property valuation toward Fire Department expenses, Finance Director David Pfaff said. ∞