Levy renewal discussed at candidates night

During primary candidates night on Wednesday, an event where candidates for Seneca County commissioner and Common Pleas Court judge answered questions in a public forum, County Engineer Matt Watson and Bryce Riggs, chair of the road and bridge levy campaign, discussed the details of the proposed tax levy renewal which will appear on the upcoming ballot. The levy originally passed in the 2018 election and went into effect in 2019. The city uses the state and federal funds to advance the bridge and levy campaign. The city has paved almost $3.3 million in roads since 2019, according to the city. Prior to the levy, they were paving around $300,000. "We've seen a significant return in these dollars," Riggs said. "I think we can all appreciate the work that's been done within the community in the last few years using these dollars." Watson said the levy is laying the foundation to put the city on a 15-20 year paving cycle which will prolong the lifespan of the roads. "We've really built a fiscally responsible and effective plan since this levy was passed," Watson said, adding since 2019, the city has brought in over $5.3 million in state and federal grant money. "We're going to see nearly $12 million in investment in our roads and bridges at the cost of only $6.5 million in local funding," Watson said. "So essentially this plan has allowed us to take $1 in local investment and turn that into $2 in improvements to our road and bridge infrastructure." "We've come a long way in a short amount of time," Riggs added. As costs continue to rise, Watson said, the city has been trying to invest now and pay more later. They are now spending over the needed amount to get caught up on construction, and will then begin to focus on resurfacing roadways and long-term road reconstruction. "If the community has the proper plan in place, they're going to have good infrastructure and roads," Watson said. "Those that do not, they're going to be lacking behind where we stand right now because we have a fiscally responsible and effective plan."