Bath Township voters will decide on November 3 whether to boost their property taxes to keep the township's roads and bridges in shape, with a proposed increase that would push the existing road levy from 2 mills to 3.4 mills. If approved, the five-year levy would generate roughly $2.3 million a year for streets, roads and bridge infrastructure across the township.
The ballot measure would renew Bath Township's existing 2-mill road levy while tacking on an additional 1.4 mills, according to Cleveland.com. The Summit County Fiscal Officer estimates the increase would cost property owners about $94 a year for every $100,000 of market value, with collections beginning in 2027 and the first tax bills due in 2028. The Bath Township Service Department maintains township roads, while Summit County maintains county roads within township boundaries, according to Scriptype.
Why the Township Says It Needs More Than Renewal
Simply renewing the existing levy wouldn't cut it, largely because of how Ohio law treats voted property tax levies. Under House Bill 920, enacted in 1976, effective tax rates on fixed-mill levies automatically decline as property values rise, which keeps existing levies from generating extra dollars just because home values climb during county reappraisals, per the Ohio Department of Taxation.
Bath Township isn't drowning in debt while making this ask. Trustees approved a $19.28 million overall budget for fiscal year 2026, and Township Administrator Vito Sinopoli has noted the township carries zero outstanding debt, the report notes.
A Regional Pattern of Ballot Asks
Bath Township isn't alone in going back to voters this fall. Just to the north, Northfield Center Township is asking residents to approve a 2-mill road levy on the same November 3 ballot, projected to raise about $485,000 annually for road rebuilds and maintenance — a story Hoodline covered this week. Copley Township, meanwhile, has placed a 1.7-mill additional Fire Department levy on the same ballot, aiming to raise $1.38 million a year to replace aging emergency vehicles, according to Akron.com.
The pattern reflects a broader local debate over funding roads, bridges and safety services. Bath Township Trustee Sharon Troike told Cleveland.com that more than 90% of the township's funding comes from property taxes, and she said there is no alternative funding formula that would replace that revenue if property taxes were eliminated. Troike has also been openly critical of how Summit County's fiscal office handles levy distributions, saying in an earlier interview with Scriptype that the county skims collection fees off local levy money to help fund a county land bank where 70% of addressed properties are located in Akron.
Statewide Tax Debate Forms the Backdrop
The Bath Township vote lands amid a broader statewide fight over property taxes. Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bills 186 and 335 into law in December 2025, capping inside-millage property tax revenue growth to the rate of inflation starting in tax year 2026, according to the Ohio House of Representatives. Separately, the citizen-led Ax OH Tax campaign, which is seeking to eliminate property taxes statewide, fell short of the 413,487 valid signatures needed to make the November 2026 ballot; organizers have said they will target the 2027 ballot instead, per WOUB Public Media.
The Ax OH Tax campaign argues property taxes place an unfair burden on homeowners as rising property values push up tax bills. Local government officials have countered that eliminating property taxes without replacement revenue could threaten funding for schools, police, fire, EMS and other public services, according to Cleveland.com's reporting.
Key Dates for Bath Township Voters
Early in-person voting begins October 6 at the Summit County Board of Elections, 1050 E. Tallmadge Ave. in Akron, and absentee ballots must be ready to mail to voters by that same date. Voter registration closes October 5, and absentee ballot applications must be received by the board of elections by 8:30 pm on October 27. On Election Day itself, Bath voters must go to their assigned polling locations, which they can look up through the Ohio Secretary of State's voter lookup system.
