The Lexington Board of Education met in special session in the Robert H. Whitney Performing Arts Center on Monday, August 11, 2025. Mr. Keith Stoner, President, called the meeting to order roll was called by the Treasurer.

Roll Call – Members present: Mr. Dave Roberts, Mr. Keith Stoner, and Ms. Lore’ Whitney ----3 Mr. Rob Schuster arrived at 6:30 pm and Dr. Gottschling arrived at 7:20 pm

Mr. Stoner called the meeting to order, welcomed visitors to the meeting, and introduced David Conley from Rockmill Financial to continue our Tax Policy review and discussion.

34-25 Tax Policy Work Session (David Conley): The Board and members of the community held the second of a number of tax policy works sessions with David Conley from Rockmill Financial Consulting to discuss and develop a Tax Policy for Lexington Schools. During this second session, Mr. Conley reviewed a variety of information, including the following:

• Brief review of session one;

• Definition and objectives of a Tax Policy;

• Property tax base composition (84.23% res/ag and 15.77% business);

• Source of General Fund revenues;

• 2025 Current Tax Rates for Lexington Schools;

• 20 Mill floor definition, discussion, and example;

• Residential home values over the past 40 years;

• Tax overview of Ohio school districts (All 607 with property tax and 212 with additional income tax);

• Tax overview of Ohio school districts (Of the 212 with income tax,148 tax ‘all’ Income with 64 tax ‘earned’ income);

• Traditional income tax definition and explanation;

• Earned income tax definition and explanation (excludes taxes on various income sources, including retirement income);

• Income tax burden shift;

• Ohio gross income growth over the past 17 years (2.52% growth rate);

• Income tax estimates, including level needed to replace $2.7 million emergency levy;

• Income Tax vs. Property Tax differences;

• Topics for the Next Meeting to be held in September; The Board thanked Mr. Conley for his assistance to Lexington Schools and noted communications would again be sent regarding the scheduling of the next special meeting for continued Tax Policy discussion.

ADJOURNMENT

35-25 Motion by Mr. Schuster, seconded by Mr. Roberts to adjourn. 8:07 p.m.

Roll Call – Yea: Mr. Schuster, Mr. Roberts , Dr. Gottschling, Mr. Stoner, Ms. Whitney ----5 Nay: None ----0
Motion adopted.

Certificate Section 5705.412, Ohio Revised Code It is hereby certified that the Lexington Local School District Board of Education, Richland County, Ohio, has sufficient funds to meet the contract agreement, obligation, payment or expenditure for the above, and has in effect for the remainder of the fiscal year and succeeding fiscal year the authorization to levy taxes which, when combined with the estimated revenue from all other sources available to the district at the time of certification, are sufficient to provide operating revenues necessary to enable the district to operate an adequate educational program on all days set forth in its adopted school calendar for the current fiscal year and for a number of days in the succeeding fiscal year equal to the number of day’s instruction was or is scheduled for the current fiscal year.

Treasurer_____________________________

President_____________________________

Superintendent ________________________