Bath Township is putting its 2027 spending plan under the microscope, with trustees set to hold a public hearing on a proposed $19.8 million tax budget tomorrow, July 13. The hearing will take public comment during the trustees’ regular 6 p.m. meeting. The draft budget shifts money among police, fire, roads, parks and community facilities, and copies are available to review in the township fiscal office through the hearing date.
What’s in the draft?
According to Cleveland.com, the proposed 2027 tax budget totals $19.763 million. It sets aside roughly $4.13 million for the police district fund, which includes about $420,000 for dispatch services, and $3.38 million for the fire district fund. About $3 million is directed to roads and bridges.
The plan also earmarks roughly $1.33 million for park services and $1.34 million for the park levy fund, including $250,000 for full-time wages. Other line items include a $1.4 million permanent improvement fund, $600,000 for road-and-bridges contracts, and just under $785,000 for the Bath Center building, according to the report.
How to weigh in
Bath Township’s legal notice states that trustees will meet in the Trustee Meeting Room at 3864 W. Bath Road in Akron. Two copies of the proposed budget are available for public inspection in the fiscal office through July 13.
The township calendar notes that the trustees’ regular meeting that night will offer a Zoom option for viewing and lists the meeting ID and passcode for remote participants. Residents can call the administration office at 330-666-4007 for details.
What Ohio law requires
State law requires every taxing unit to file at least two copies of its budget with the fiscal officer for public inspection and to hold at least one public hearing before adopting that budget. The final document must be submitted to the county auditor by July 20. For specific statutory language and timing, see O.R.C. 5705.30.
What to watch for
Residents can expect questions at the hearing about public-safety staffing, upcoming road work and the Bath Center allocation, since those areas make up a large share of the shifts from prior years. Trustees will decide whether the final 2027 appropriation leans more on levy revenues, reserves or a mix of both as they work toward a budget that can pass muster with taxpayers and the county auditor.
