Tax Gets Voter Approval As Does Liquor Options. New School Board and City Council Members. Meter Amendment Loses. (With Updates and Corrections)
Westerville Voters Approve School Income Tax
Voters in the Westerville City School District have approved a 0.75% earned income tax, delivering a major financial win for the district after a year of deep cuts and escalating concern about future stability.
Unofficial results show the measure passing on Tuesday’s ballot. The new tax, which applies only to earned income such as wages and self-employment earnings, is expected to generate $24.3 million annually for school operations. It will not affect retirement income, Social Security, pensions, or investment income.
This marks the first time in over a decade that Westerville voters have approved an income tax for schools. A combined property tax and bond issue failed in 2024, prompting the district to slash nearly $5 million from its budget, including 33 staff positions.
District leaders warned that without new revenue, further cuts would have gutted academic interventions, electives, transportation, and extracurriculars. Tuesday’s approval signals community support for preserving programs many feared were on the chopping block.
The campaign laid bare the district’s central tension: strong student outcomes paired with rising costs and financial strain. In September, Westerville earned a 3.5-star rating from the Ohio Department of Education. While scores in achievement, progress, and graduation were solid, early literacy and chronic absenteeism dragged down its overall rating.
Superintendent Angela Hamberg and board members argued that maintaining momentum would be impossible without stable funding—and that deeper cuts would erode quality even if star ratings remained unchanged.
“We are deeply thankful to our community for recognizing the importance of our public schools,” said Superintendent Angela Hamberg. “This support allows us to maintain the high-quality programs, services, and staff that make Westerville City Schools such a special place for students to learn and grow.”
Opponents of the levy cited declining enrollment and a growing tax burden on working residents. But supporters said the earned income tax offered a fair and targeted solution that protects retirees and ensures students have access to a full range of educational opportunities. Calls and emails to opposition leader Doug Krinsky went unanswered.
The tax will take effect in January. For a resident earning $70,000, the cost would be about $525 per year.
Certification of the results is expected later this month. The district is expected to announce the next steps soon, including which programs may be restored in light of the new funding.
Olentangy Also Passes
Voters in the Olentangy Local School District approved a $235 million bond issue Tuesday by a margin of about 56 to 44 percent. The 1.77-mill, 37-year bond will not increase the district’s current tax rate, according to officials. Funds from the measure will support construction of a new elementary school—the district’s eighteenth—and a fifth high school, along with major infrastructure improvements to accommodate enrollment growth.
Meyer, Brown, and Liban Win Seats on Westerville School Board
Voters selected Kristina Meyer, Tatjana Brown, and Anisa Liban to the Westerville City Schools Board of Education.
Meyer, the current board president, will return for another term. Brown succeeds the board’s April 2025 appointee, Dwight Heckelman, who filled the unexpired term of Tracy Davidson and did not run for reelection. Liban, who was appointed earlier this year to fill a mid-term vacancy left by Nancy Nestor-Baker, will now serve a full elected term.
In the same election, voters also approved a 0.75 percent income tax to support district operations, replacing future property-tax levies and providing stable funding for programs and staffing.
The newly elected members will be sworn in at the first board meeting of 2026, when officers for the year will be selected.
Stocker & Beckett Elected To City Council
Kelly Stocker and Daniella Beckett have been elected to the Westerville City Council.
Re-elected to four-year terms are:
Megan Reamsnyder
Aaron Glasgow
Correction: An earlier version of this newsletter had an incorrect listing for the City Council winners. It has now been corrected, naming Daniela Beckham as the winner.
Police Levies Approved
Genoa Township voters approved the police levy Tuesday, renewing the existing 4.2-mill tax and adding 0.75 mills for a total of 4.95 mills over five years. The increase will cost homeowners about $26.25 more per year for every $100,000 of assessed property value, bringing the total cost to roughly $106.90 per $100,000 after tax credits. Revenue from the levy will fund officer salaries, vehicles and equipment, training, communications, and other operational needs of the Genoa Township Police Department.
Blendon Township voters approved a 4.48-mill levy to support police operations. The measure will cost homeowners about $157 annually for every $100,000 of assessed property value. Township officials said the levy will maintain current staffing levels and fund equipment, training, and general operations for the Blendon Township Police Department.
Liquor Sales Expansion Approved in Westerville
Voters in Westerville approved multiple local liquor options on Tuesday, allowing expanded alcohol sales at three businesses across different precincts.
At Uptown Deli and Brew, located at 37–39 N. State Street, voters in Precinct 1-A supported both measures to allow weekday and Sunday sales of beer, wine, mixed beverages, and spirituous liquor — including service on the rooftop.
At the State Street Duchess (796 S. State Street) in Precinct 3-A, voters decisively approved weekday and Sunday sales of beer, wine, and mixed beverages.
In Precinct 5-B, both liquor options for the Walmart at 50 E. Schrock Road passed.
These approvals mean that all three businesses can now proceed with expanded alcohol sales, pending final certification of the results.
The liquor option for the United Dairy Farmer on 3C also passed.
Westerville Voters Reject Push to Replace Digital Utility Meters
Westerville voters decisively rejected a charter amendment Tuesday that would have forced the city to replace its digital water and electric meters with older, manually read models.
The proposal, introduced by former city council member Tim Davey, aimed to roll back the city’s use of automated meters in favor of traditional analog versions. But city officials warned the change would be costly and impractical. They said it would require creating a new department to perform manual readings, sourcing obsolete meters no longer manufactured, and adding a new line item to the city budget to cover labor and infrastructure.
Davey criticized the city’s messaging, claiming officials used fear tactics to sway voters.
“It looks like financial coercion from the city works,” he said in a phone interview. “They threatened to raise everybody’s electric rates, even though it was unnecessary. And that scared enough people away from voting for it, I believe.”
Asked what he plans to do next, Davey suggested the issue might return to the ballot — but with a new strategy.
“Next time around, if we did do this, we’ll make sure that the charter amendment includes reductions in costs to the residents,” he said. “They’ve packed our electric bill with discretionary expenses that were normally paid from the general fund if we didn’t have our own electric utility.”
Ultimately, voters sided with the city’s position, opting to keep the digital metering system in place and rejecting what officials described as a costly step backward.
The Westerville News is a reader-supported publication by Gary Gardiner, a lifelong journalist who believes hyper-local reporting is the future of news. This publication focuses exclusively on Westerville—its local news, influence on Central Ohio, and how surrounding areas shape the community.
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