By Erica Solvig
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Mason citizens have agreed to continue funding their fire department and medical services - five years after passing a levy to create them.

Voters on Tuesday approved a 5-mill, 5-year replacement levy, 501 to 324, according to the unofficial final count from the Warren County Board of Elections.

It was one of five levies on the ballot in Southwest Ohio during Tuesday's special election.

A bond issue to add classrooms in the Franklin Schools failed, but an operating levy needed to keep Lockland Schools alive passed. Levies to improve fire and medical services also passed in Clermont County's Jackson and Tate townships.

Mason's levy replaces one passed in 1998 to create the department, after the Mason-Deerfield Joint Fire District was disbanded. The $4.2 million generated will pay for firefighting, emergency medical care and accident response, as well as other programs.

Taxes on a $100,000 home will increase $33 a year.

"We're quite pleased," said City Manager Scot Lahrmer on Tuesday night. "Despite the low voter turnout, it does demonstrate that the public has confidence in the fire department and emergency services."

In addition to daily operations, the funds will allow the department to someday replace equipment and make improvements to the Mason-Montgomery Road station, said Fire Chief Rich Fletcher.

"It provides us with enough money that we can go in the direction we want to go, which is to grow with the city," he said. "We've looked at the whole picture, and we felt that this levy would fulfill our needs."

Elsewhere in Warren County, voters rejected a 2.84-mill bond issue for Franklin Schools - 1,443 to 1,182 - according to unofficial final results. The $16.7 million was needed to fund additional classrooms at the junior high and elementary schools, a concession stand and toilets at the stadium, a high school wellness/fitness center with weight room, as well as roof, window and door improvements at all buildings.

Taxes would have increased $87 annually on a $100,000 house. School officials will discuss next week whether to submit the same issue to voters in November.

Deadline for the Nov. 4 election is Aug. 21.

Clermont County voters passed its two levies for safety services, such as fire, ambulance/paramedic and emergency medicine.

Jackson Township voters approved a 2-mill replacement fire levy, 161 to 35, according to Clermont's unofficial final results. The levy, which generates $78,000 each of the next five years, costs the owner of a $100,000 house about $32 annually.

In Tate Township, a 4.1-mill continuing operating levy to help the Bethel-Tate Fire Department add paramedics to its 24-hour ambulance service also passed, 643 to 163 votes, according to unofficial final results. The generated $542,417 per year costs the owner of a $100,000 home $125.56 a year.

In Hamilton County, there will be no merger of Lockland Schools into neighboring districts after a 15-mill operating levy won voter approval, 634 to 403, according to county's unofficial final results.

"We will be open," superintendent Phil Fox said with relief. "We've got a future right now, and we're excited by it."

The Lockland levy will provide the district of 650 students with an additional $1.5 million annually, with collections beginning in January, Fox said.

But while the district now has enough money to keep its doors open, it won't be business as usual. Twenty-six positions were cut after a 24.1-mill levy was defeated earlier this year.

Sue Kiesewetter contributed. E-mail esolvig@enquirer.com