On May 6, Vote Yes for Orange Rec
to maintain quality recreation services and Orange Community Education & Recreation
On May 6, residents of the Orange City School District will be asked to renew a .95 mil, 5-year levy to fund Orange Community Education & Recreation.
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We’d love to share more information with you about the upcoming levy. Please provide your name, email, and the city in which you live.
If you’d like to tell us how Orange Community Education & Recreation has made an impact, we’d love to hear more!
Why is this levy needed?
The department’s current levy funding expires on December 31, 2025 so a return to the ballot is necessary to maintain funding. This levy has been a renewal since 1995 with NO increase to homeowners.
How is OCER funded?
While OCER is under the auspices of Orange City School District and our programs take place on campus, we receive no funding from the district. Tax dollars paid to Orange City School District for K-12 education remain entirely with the district.
Orange Community Education & Recreation is funded in part by a .95 mil, 5-year renewable levy. This levy, which has not changed in millage since 1995, is funded by district residents. In 2024, this levy generated about 20% of the department’s operating and facility maintenance funds. The remaining 80% of the department’s revenue was earned through participant fees, donations, grants, and interest on investments.
Combined, these funds allow OCER to provide its activities and services, purchase equipment and supplies, and maintain its four facilities: Pepper Pike Learning Center, Orange Art Center, Orange Senior Center, and Orange Aquatics Center.
The current $1.5 million renovation of Pepper Pike Learning Center is being paid for entirely with OCER funds.
In 2025, the Cuyahoga County Auditor determined that a tax payer with a home valued at $100,000 will pay approximately $28 per year for this levy.
On May 6, 2025, OCER will be on the ballot with the same .95 mil, 5-year renewal levy which would extend funding through 2030.
What is the approximate cost to a homeowner?
The cost to homeowners is based on the Cuyahoga CountyAuditor's appraised tax value. Because this levy is a renewal, taxpayers receive a 12.5% discount via the State of Ohio Homestead Exemption & Rollback clause, so homeowners actually pay taxes for this levy on only 87.5 % of their home's tax value.
The Cuyahoga County Auditor has determined that a taxpayer with a home valued at $100,000 will pay approximately $28 per year for each of the next five years for all of the services offered by Orange Community Education & Recreation levy.
Because this is a renewal levy, the cost to homeowners has remained the same since 1995!
This levy will NOT increase taxes. The cost per year for a home valued at $100,000 in 1995 was $28 per year and would remain $28 per year in 2026-2030.
What will the ballot language say?
PROPOSED TAX LEVY (RENEWAL)
ORANGE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
A majority affirmative vote is necessary for passage.
A renewal of a tax for the benefit of the Orange City School District for the
purpose of operating and maintaining recreation facilities at a rate
not exceeding 0.95 mill for each one dollar of valuation, which
amounts to 9.5 cents for each one hundred dollars of valuation for
five (5) years commencing in 2025, first due in calendar year 2026.
____ FOR THE TAX LEVY
____ AGAINST THE TAX LEVY
Why is the Orange City School District mentioned? I thought the levy was for Community Education & Recreation.
The Orange City School District is the fiscal officer for Orange Community Education & Recreation.
Monies generated from this levy are strictly for the operation of Orange Community Education & Recreation; likewise, school district funds are never appropriated for Orange Community Education & Recreation use.
Who benefits from services provided by Orange Community Education & Recreation?
We serve all members of the Orange School District community, from preschoolers to senior adults, in Orange, Woodmere, Pepper Pike, Hunting Valley and Moreland Hills along with district residents in Solon, Bedford Heights, and Warrensville Heights.
Last year, more than 20,000 participants took a trip, exercised, learned a language, had a part in a play, challenged an opponent in chess, built a robot, painted a portrait, roared like a dinosaur, swam a lap, and much more – all facilitated by Orange Community Education & Recreation.
Our new initiative to provide adaptive recreation services has been tremendously successful and our scholarship program helps all members of our community enjoy the benefit of participation.
In fact, Orange Community Education & Recreation consistently receives a 96 - 98% approval rating from our users and participants.
And the benefit is not just to those who participate with us. The role that Orange Community Education & Recreation plays in the community keeps it strong for businesses and homeowners too.
OCER has had the same .95 mill levy for 30 years. How is that possible? The economy has changed a lot in 30 years.
We work very hard to create realistic budgets from year to year that forecast program growth while considering increases in costs in areas such as utilities and employee healthcare and benefits. The department carries a modest cash balance reserve that allows it to perform basic facility improvements and create new program initiatives.
What if the Community Education & Recreation levy were to fail?
About 20% of the total budget needed to operate the department and offer award-winning community education and recreation programs comes from levy funding. If the May 6, 2025, levy would fail, programs, services and nonessential staff would be at risk. We would no longer be able to fully serve the community through sports, arts, theatre, senior programs, preschool activities, before/after school activities or aquatics in the same manner in which we do today.
Aren’t the programs paid for by program participant fees?
Yes, direct costs for programs including instructor fees, materials, and program supplies are paid for in full by participant fees. When a program doesn’t meet its bottom line, it is canceled so no cost is incurred.
However, indirect costs such as facility overhead, marketing, staff support, custodial support, maintenance, utilities, and operating equipment are not fully covered by revenue earned on programming. The levy funds offset those costs.
What does the next 5 years look like for the department?
Improved facilities are a top need expressed by the community as we learned through both our strategic plan process and community surveys. The department considers this a major area of interest and will continue to work with our residents to meet that need to our fullest ability. We welcome further conversation in that area and others as we grow through 2025 and beyond.
