Early Results: Overwhelming disapproval on ZCS levy

By Jessica Johnston, Assistant News Director

Initial polling results indicate that the Zanesville City Schools renewal levy and addition is not getting past the voters.

Election day results show the levy being shot down by a large margin with 4,101 votes (58.57 percent) in disapproval of the levy and 2,901 votes (41.43 percent) in its favor.

While the schools wouldn’t have seen any of the money from the levy until 2020, as the current levy in place runs through 2019, the approval of the levy would have increased the levy by $500,000 for school safety and security.

The increase plus the renewal would have cost Zanesville City property owners who own a home valued at $100,000 about $45.50 per year, annually. A price that many Zanesville residents were clearly not willing to pay.

The levy hasn’t been increased since its origination in 1989. It has appeared on the ballot every five years since it first passed. With the 2018 disapproval, the ZCS levy is likely to be on the ballot again in May, potentially with some modifications.

These results reflect the initial tallies turned into the Muskingum County Board of Elections and only reflect unofficial polling results from Muskingum County. Final results will be announced by the end of the month.

ZCS asking for additional $500,000 in levy renewal