Northfield Center Township voters will decide this November whether to approve a brand-new 2-mill property tax levy dedicated entirely to fixing the township's roads, a measure trustees say is needed to tackle everything from routine pothole repairs to a $2 million rebuild of Beechwood Drive and Cherry Lane. If approved, the levy would raise about $485,000 a year and cost the owner of a $100,000 home roughly $70 annually, according to Nordonia Hills News.
The levy heads to the Nov. 3 general election ballot after Northfield Center Township trustees unanimously voted in July to place it before voters, as reported by Cleveland.com. That vote came in the form of Resolution 26/07-27A, passed on July 27 during what trustees described as a special summer meeting, according to Nordonia Hills News.
Crucially, this is not a renewal of an existing tax but a wholly new one that would stack on top of what residents already pay. Trustees have noted that Ohio statutory rules require additional levies like this one to run for five-year terms rather than continuous durations, which is what forced the township to seek a fresh measure instead of simply extending or expanding its current road levy, the outlet reports.
A Second Road Tax Layered on an Existing One
The proposed 2-mill measure would be a new levy.
The new levy is estimated to collect approximately $485,000 annually for street, road, and bridge construction, resurfacing, and repairs. If it passes, the levy would begin generating revenue in 2026, with the first payment due in 2027, and would remain in effect for five years.
Where the Money Would Go
Township trustees plan to allocate approximately $250,000 annually toward mill-and-fill paving and another $50,000 annually for Reclamite pavement rejuvenation treatments across township roads, a maintenance strategy local officials project will preserve road quality for roughly a decade, per Nordonia Hills News. The levy would also fund future road improvements, resurfacing, reconstruction, and repairs throughout the township more broadly.
The most visible piece of the plan is a proposed $2 million rebuild of Beechwood Drive and Cherry Lane. That project is tied to an ongoing Summit County drainage and ditch petition for Norwood Lake, according to a supporting document filed with the Summit County Engineer's Office. The area experiences ongoing drainage challenges, complicating the road work.
Township Governance in Flux
The levy vote arrives as Northfield Center Township navigates other significant governance shifts. In September, trustees instituted a temporary one-year moratorium on new data center developments and underground utility drilling permits, giving zoning officials time to develop land-use standards for emerging commercial and infrastructure projects, Nordonia Hills News reported.
The township is also conducting its first Comprehensive Plan update since 1998, gathering public input through a community survey that closes today, September 21.
Northfield Center isn't alone in facing these pressures. Several Summit County communities have levies on the ballot.
Election Timeline for Northfield Center Voters
Northfield Center Township is in northern Summit County.
Voters have a series of key dates ahead. The voter registration deadline is October 5, with early in-person and absentee voting by mail beginning October 6. Military and overseas absentee voting already began on September 18. Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, November 3.
