LEXINGTON — Voters in the Lexington Local school district said “no” twice on Tuesday.
Residents rejected both the renewal of a 4.8 mill property tax and a proposed 0.75 percent earned income tax at the polls.
The property tax renewal failed by a margin of 129 votes, with 51.63 percent of voters rejecting the measure, according to final, unofficial vote totals from the Richland County Board of Elections and Morrow County Board of Elections.
The earned income tax failed by a much wider margin, with just 32.09 percent of voters supporting it.
“While we are disappointed with the results of the election, we respect the decision of our community,” Supt. Kevin Young said.
“We understand that many families are facing financial challenges of their own, and we appreciate everyone who took the time to learn about the issues and participate in the election,” he said.
The renewal would not have raised taxes or generated additional revenue. Without it, Lexington Local Schools will collect about $2.68 million less in operating funds each year.
The income tax was projected to generate an additional $3.54 million in operating funds in its first year, according to district Treasurer Jason Whitesel.
While it didn’t pass, the earned income tax fared better than a proposed 1.5 percent traditional income tax in May, which would have impacted retirement income and was voted down by more than 73 percent of electors.
‘There will undoubtedly be difficult decisions ahead’
Lexington is facing a projected operating deficit of $1.7 million during the 2026-2027 school year.
Without new operating funds or spending cuts, the district is on track to run out of funds sometime during the 2028-2029 school year, according to its most recent financial forecast.
“The financial challenges facing our district remain, and there will undoubtedly be difficult decisions ahead,” Young said.
“Our Board of Education and administrative team will carefully evaluate our options and work to make thoughtful, responsible decisions while communicating openly with our staff and community.”
Young said the district’s commitment to students and families hasn’t changed.
“I have tremendous confidence in the dedicated people who make up Lexington Schools and the work they do each day,” he said.
“We will face these challenges with the same steady approach we have taken throughout this process, keeping our students at the center of every decision.”
