Voters in three western Hamilton County cities will decide on local levies Nov. 6.

        In Cheviot, a city of 1 square mile and population 9,620, two renewal levies are on the ballot. The city is asking voters to renew a 3-mill operating expense levy and a 1.5-mill streets levy. Each levy has a term of five years.

        “Both were passed in 1976 and have been renewing ever since,” said city Auditor Dan Murphy.

        According to Mr. Murphy, the 3-mill operating levy generates about $133,000 per year toward the city's general fund, which has an annual budget of about $3 million. The 1.5-mill streets levy generates about $66,000 toward road proj ects. The annual streets budget is about $262,000.

        Cost to the owner of a $100,000 home, Mr. Murphy said, is less than $50 per year: $33.17 for the operating levy and $16.58 for the streets levy.

        In North College Hill, population 10,800, voters will be asked to renew a five-year, 4.8-mill streets levy. According to Safety Service Director Jerry Thamann, the levygenerates about $460,000 a year.

        The city provided an esti mate of the cost to the owner of an $80,000 home, which is typical of North College Hill, of about $134 a year. The levy was first approved in 1986 and has been renewed two times since.

        “Most importantly, we use the money as leverage to get state and county grants. For every $1 of levy money, we get $9 of other funding,” Mr. Thamann said.

        Over the past five years, the funds have helped support more than $4 million in road improvements, the safety service director said.

        Forest Park voters will be asked to decide a new 4.75-mill, continuing levy to support the city's fire department.

        “It's all for manpower and some equipment,” said Assistant Fire Chief Mike Rupp. The city operates two fire stations withsix full-time firefighters and one part-timer.

        Though the city currently has a 4.95-mill fire levy that generates $1.3 million annually, the assistant chief said the department needs additional funds to bring the number of full-time firefighters to 12, and to supply the equipment to operate at this staffing level.

        If passed, the new levy would generate about $1.49 million annually, the assistant chief said. Cost to the owner of a $100,000 home would be about $138 per year.

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