Linda Harris AN IMPORTANT LEVY -- Steubenville Mayor Ralph Petrella said the city's income tax levy is crucial to complete many municipal projects.

STEUBENVILLE — Levies the city of Steubenville relies on to resurface streets, pay firefighters/EMTs, police and other employees, fund recreation improvements and even leverage federal and state grants are up for renewal in the May 5 election.

If approved by voters, Steubenville’s 0.7% income tax and its 0.3% income tax would be renewed for five more years.

City officials say the 0.7% levy generates about $4.648 million. That money is used for a variety of purposes, including leverage federal and state grant dollars:

*$500,000 a year is earmarked for the city’s hot mix resurfacing. *$300,000 for city equipment: think police vehicles, fire trucks, ambulances, trucks for the street department and the like.

*$100,000 for recreation capital improvements, like playgrounds and facility improvements.

Using some of that money as local matching funds for federal and state grants stretches taxpayer dollars even further, they say.

Most of the 0.7% revenue — about $3.748 — supports staffing, primarily police and fire though employees in other general fund departments, like the street and recreation departments, benefit as well.

City officials point out that with revenue generated from the 0.7 percent income tax, “the city has been able to invest more than $625,000 annual into street improvements.”

“Over the past five years more than 22 lane miles of both improved and unimproved streets have been paved or rehabilitated,” they pointed out. “However, with over 250 lane miles of streets to maintain, Steubenville must continue and sustain these efforts to meet ongoing infrastructure needs.”

Among the projects funded with 0.7 percent tax revenue were the State Route 7 signal upgrade; Washington Street/Sunset Boulevard resurfacing (from State Route 7 to Linduff Avenue), Phase 3 of the Lovers Lane widening project (from Sunset Boulevard to the roundabout), resurfacing Sunset Boulevard (Linduff to Lovers Lane), Lincoln and the Lincoln traffic signal upgrade and State Route 7 resurfacing from the southern corporation limit to University.

Down the road, those funds would assist with multi-year paving projects, street sign upgrades and pavement marking upgrades, downtown traffic signal removal and rehabilitation and sidewalk improvements to University Boulevard and Wellesley Avenue.

The city’s four-year capital resurfacing plan (2026-29) is also funded with the revenues.

“Passage of the 0.7% levy is crucial to maintaining the services the city provides to its residents,” City Manager Mike Johnson said. “Part of (the revenue) provides for road improvements, city equipment and recreation needs. Without (it) less road improvements would be made, the city would not be able to replace broken equipment and recreation opportunities in the city would suffer.”

Johnson also pointed out the “vast majority of the 0.7% levy goes to the general fund, which primarily funds our safety forces.”

“If the levy fails our ability to maintain our safety forces at current levels would be impaired,” Johnson said.

The 0.3% levy generates approximately $1.992 million, with 85% of the revenue — a little more than $1.693 million — going to the general fund for staffing and 15% ($298,800) going towards paving roads.

Mayor Ralph Petrella said “there isn’t a (scenario) where we could function without them.”

“The city relies on the funds from these levies to provide city services, including safety services,” Petrella said. “It would be difficult to imagine (how the city would function) if the levies are not renewed, as significant reductions in staffing and services would have to be made.”

Johnson said the two levies “account for about 40-45 percent of the city’s revenue stream.”

“If (they) were to fail, the significant drop in city revenues would have dire consequences,” he said, noting that, “The levies have historically enjoyed the support of the citizens of Steubenville and it is my hope that the citizens continue their support…so Steubenville can continue to move forward and improve rather than take a step backwards.”