On May 4, voters will decide whether to increase their property taxes so that the city can hire up to 20 additional firefighter-paramedics.
Issue 7 is a 2-mill levy that, according to Strongsville Finance Director Joe Dubovec, would generate an additional $3.3 million a year for the Fire Department.
The levy would cost homeowners $70 a year for each $100,000 in property valuation. That’s about $17.50 less than a 2.5-mill levy for the Fire Department that voters rejected in November. Unlike the November levy, funds from the proposed Issue 7 would pay only for firefighter salaries and benefits, plus equipment for firefighter/paramedics. The November levy might have also helped pay for construction of a fifth new fire station in the center of town.