Primary Election on Tuesday, 2 March 2004.
Issues for the Village of Boston Heights, Ohio.

Click here for Mar. 2004 election results!
Looking for a different election? Click: Nov. 2004; other.

	Click here for the Hudson Hub-Times article on the failure of the income tax issue, 7 March 2004. Click here for the Hudson Hub-Times article on the income tax issue, 14 January 2004.
	Click here for information about the Village of Boston Heights, Ohio.
	Click here for information about the village's restrictions on political signs.
	Click here for information about school funding and property taxes in Ohio.
	Election Results, 3 Mar 2004. Legal Notices (transcriptions), added 18 Feb 2004. Correction for Peninsula Library funding, added 18 Feb 2004. U.S. Congress candidates, added 23 Feb 2004.

This issue would permanently increase the village's income tax to 2.0%, a 33% increase over the current 1.5% rate. The rates were most recently increased at the May 1999 election, from 1.0% to 1.5%.
Note: The same increase, but limited to 5 years and earmarked as capital funds, failed at the November 2003 election.
The new 1/2% is to be levied starting in July 2004, with all revenue slate for the village's general fund.
The village estimates the tax increase would bring in an additional $130,000 per year.

Click here for the Hudson Hub-Times article on the tax increase, 14 Jan 2004.
Click here for a Plain Dealer article on the tax increase, 22 Feb 2004.
For the enabling legislation, see Ordinances 20-2003 & 27-2003.
For a debate on this issue, see the Aug 2003 Council meeting.
Click here for the legal notice (transcription).

The village currently has 100% reciprocity: a worker in the village will pay the full 2% to Boston Heights; a resident will pay what's over the income tax rate at his/her place of employment. For example:

A village resident who works in...	will pay to Boston Heights:	with an income of $80,884:
Boston Heights (1.5%=>2.0%)	2.0% (1/2% more)	$1618 ($404 more)
Peninsula, Hudson* (1.0%)	1.0% (1/2% more)	$809 ($404 more)
Northfield, Twinsburg Twp JEDD (1.5%)	0.5% (1/2% more)	$404 ($404 more)
Aurora, Macedonia, Cleveland (2.0%)	0.0%	$0
Akron (2.25%)	0.0%	$0

* Hudson voted to increase to 2%, in this same election.

This levy is for operation of the Nordonia schools, and is in additional to all current levies.
Note: A smaller levy failed at the November 2003 election.
Click here for the legal notice (transcription).
The levy would raise $6,690,000 each year.
It will cost approximately $484 per year more in property taxes for a $200,000 home.
Click here for 2003 property tax rates in Boston Heights.

This levy is for operation of the Woodridge schools, and is in additional to all current levies.
Note: Smaller levies failed in the May 2003 election and in the November 2003 election.
The last new operating levy passed in 1999, along with another levy renewed in 2000.
Click here for the legal notice (transcription).
This levy would raise $3,194,424 each year.
It will cost approximately $420 per year more in property taxes for a $200,000 home.
Click here for 2003 property tax rates in Boston Heights.

Click here for the Woodridge district's levy message.

The Woodridge and Nordonia Hills school districts are within the Akron-Summit County Public Library district, and so will vote on those library issues. The Hudson school district is not in the library district, and so does not vote on its issues. This applies to that part of Boston Heights in each of these school districts.

The Nordonia Hills Public Library in Northfield is part of the county library system; the Hudson Library is not.

While the Peninsula Library is independent of the county library system, it does receive funding from the Summit County library system through a 1984 cooperative agreement.
Therefore the Peninsula Library would benefit from this levy. (Corrected by Peninsula Library, 18 Feb 04)

This levy is for operation of the Akron-Summit County Library system.
It replaces the expired 0.89 mill operating levy, last renewed in 1999.
Note: The same levy failed at the November 2003 election.
Click here for the legal notice (transcription).
This levy will cost approximately $59 per year more in property taxes for a $200,000 home (for a total of $98 per year).
It would raise $11.2M each year (compared to $5.1M for the expired levy).
Click here for 2003 property tax rates in Boston Heights.

Campaigning for passage of the levy: "Citizens for the Library's Future" (coodinator: Billy Soule, 330-535-1717).
See also the Library Issue 22 Campaign Webpage.
News: "Library levy campaign...", Akron Beacon Journal, 20 Feb 04.
For the enabling and supporting legislation, see Summit County Resolution 2004-033, Resolution 2003-783 and Resolution 2003-782.

This levy is for operation of Summit County Children Services, commonly known as "CSB".
This would renew the CSB levy that expires this year. The renewal had been intended for the November 2003 ballot, but was widely reported to have been delayed due to bad publicity from the fall CSB strike, and from the "Kenmore Kids" incident. See the Akron Beacon Journal article of 17 Jan 2004.
This levy will cost approximately $126 per year in property taxes for a $200,000 home.
Click here for 2003 property tax rates in Boston Heights.

Boston Heights is within the 41st district of the Ohio House of Representatives.
2 March 2004 Winners: Brian Williams (D), Marilyn Slaby (R). See the election returns.

There is no Republican primary, as candidate Marilyn Slaby is unopposed -- the incumbent, Bryan C. Williams (R), is subject to term limit and is not running for re-election.

Boston Heights is within the 14th district of the U.S. House of Representatives.
2 March 2004 Winners: Capri Cafaro (D), Steven LaTourette (R). See the election returns.

There is no Republican primary, as incumbent Rep. Steven LaTourette (R) is unopposed.

One of Ohio's two seats in the U.S. Senate is contested in the 2004 elections.
2 March 2004 Winners: Eric Fingerhut (D), George Voinovich (R). See the election returns.