10-10-2026 6:39pm

Some Turglecreek Voters Will See Two Local Tax Questions on November's Ballot

Beth Callahan Editor

TURTLECREEK TOWNSHIP, OH — Some Warren County voters living in Turtlecreek Township and within the Lebanon City School District are being asked to consider two separate local tax issues when they cast their ballots Nov. 3.

Voting residents, who live within the Lebanon City School District that encompasses the majority of the City of Lebanon, the majority of Turtlecreek Township and a small portion of the City of Middletown, are being asked to approve a 1% earned-income tax for 10 years, while Turtlecreek Township is seeking an additional 4.5-mill property-tax levy for fire and emergency medical services.

The two measures would fund different government entities and would also be collected in different ways.

Lebanon City Schools seeks 1% earned-income tax

Lebanon City School District has placed a 1% earned-income tax on the ballot for 10 years beginning Jan. 1, 2027.

According to the district, the tax would be imposed on earned income of people who live within the Lebanon City School District. Earned income generally includes wages, salaries, tips and self-employment income. It does not include retirement pensions, Social Security, 401(k) distributions, interest, dividends, capital gains or unemployment benefits, according to information provided by the school district.

If passed the 1% earned-income tax would generate an estimated $13.5 million annually for current operating expenses.

The district's Board of Education also passed a resolution in July committing to stop collecting a combined 2.15 mills in existing property taxes if the income-tax levy passes. The reduction would include 1.38 mills associated with bond debt beginning in 2027 and 0.77 mill from the district's permanent improvement levy beginning in 2028.

That proposed property-tax reduction is not part of the ballot language itself.

Turtlecreek seeks 4.5-mill fire and EMS levy

Turtlecreek Township voters in the fire and EMS levy area will also consider an additional 4.5-mill property-tax levy. The levy would be continuing, meaning it would not have a set expiration date. It is estimated to generate approximately $3.59 million annually for fire and emergency medical services.

According to the ballot information, the new levy would cost approximately $158 annually for each $100,000 of a property's county auditor market value. A home with a $300,000 market value, for example, would therefore have an estimated additional cost of about $474 per year.

Revenue could be used for firefighter and EMS personnel, ambulances, fire apparatus, equipment, facilities and other costs associated with providing fire and emergency medical services.

Township officials say the department's last new levy was approved in 2008 and that existing revenue has remained relatively steady while personnel, equipment and operating costs have increased. Existing fire levies approved between 1986 and 2008 remain in place and currently collect about $2.24 million annually, according to the township.

The township reports that calls for service have increased 37% since 2008, while its population has increased 27%. Turtlecreek covers more than 60 square miles with three fire stations.

Election Day is Tuesday Nov. 3, 2026

Voters can check their individual sample ballot through the Warren County Board of Elections at vote.warrencountyohio.gov. Because school district, township and municipal boundaries do not always match, residents are encouraged to review their ballot before Election Day to see which local issues apply to their address.