Trustees Corner

With all the new residents that have moved into Sagamore Hills in the past three years, I want to take this opportunity to explain township finances. Sagamore Hills is not a city or a village. Our township is one of 1,308 townships in Ohio. Townships do not have an income tax. As a result, all operations including police, fire, service, zoning and parks departments are paid for by you, as a taxpayer, through levies.

At our September township trustees meeting, John Zaccardelli, David DePasquale and I accepted and certified the township tax rates to the Budget Commission of Summit County. Over the years, voters have approved a total of 3.33 mills to be spent on road repair maintenance and a total of 6 mills for police protection. This year, voters approved 1.5 mills for fire and ambulance service. The total fire budget is 3 mills. The combined total millage to taxpayers for all operations is 12.33 mills. This is what we approved at our meeting.

These combined levies amount to $3.76 million in revenue. Sagamore Hills also receives additional revenue of $610,000 to the general fund of inside millage and the roads fund receives another $157,000 from inside millage from Summit County. Lastly, Sagamore Hills receives $900,000 in ancillary revenue from nine different restricted funds, which must be used in a controlled manner. 

Money from the general fund supports Sagamore Hills’ assessment to the Summit County Health District and to the Northfield/Macedonia Cemetery, along with operation to zoning and parks. Excluded from this explanation is Federal American Rescue Revenue, which is one-time money used to supplement police and fire.

Total township expenditures for 2021 were $5.5 million. Total tax millage revenue was $5.45 million. The negative balance of $56,000 was offset by Federal American Rescue Plan money. I present this explanation as the reason why Sagamore Hills does not offer the same amenities that Brecksville, Macedonia, Twinsburg or Solon offer. There is no revenue to build or maintain a rec center, swimming pool, leaf collection, pickle ball courts, etc. In fact, Brecksville, Twinsburg and Solon all have budgets of $44-45 million.  Macedonia’s budget is approximately $33 million. I hope this helps in explaining where your tax dollars are spent.

Road update

The Summit County Engineer’s current plan is to resurface Valley View Road in its entirety over the following time frame: one-third to be done in 2023, 2025 and 2027. The first third is scheduled to start from new Route 8 to just past the cemetery on Olde Rt. 8.

Sagamore Hills receives phone calls every month about dead animals on the highways in our township. The service department may only remove dead animals from township roads. State Rt. 82 and county roads are notified when dead animals are on their roads. Sagamore Hills Service Department is not insured to work on these roadways. There are 12 miles of county roads in Sagamore. Sagamore Hills has a total of 38 miles of township roads. I hope this explains the delay in removal of dead animals. If you have any questions, call me at 330-467-4970.

Go Browns. ∞