One of the two levies that will appear on all Logan County ballots in the May 6 Primary Election will be a replacement tax for the day-to-day operations, maintenance and upkeep of the Logan County Historical Society.
The issue is a five-year 0.25-mill property tax that will collect approximately $390,000 per year over the term of the levy. Should the levy pass, property owners would be taxed at $9 per $100,000 of the value of their property per year, which works out to 75 cents per month, or $3 monthly on a $400,000 property.
The funding for the current Historical Society levy expires Dec. 31, 2025.
Todd McCormick, curator/director of the Logan County History Center, 521 E. Columbus Ave., said that a failure of the May 6 levy will likely result in staff cuts and severely limit the times the History Center will be open for tours.
The Logan County History Center started in the Orr Mansion on east Columbus Ave., but his now comprised three buildings, including the “roundhouse” Transportation Museum that was built in 2014 with funding from the Ohio Department of Transportation.
The History Center is currently open to the public Wednesday through Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m., and books group and school tours during other days and times by appointment. Donations are accepted for admission and regular office hours are kept throughout the work week. The Historical Center current employs five members (three full-time and two-part-time), including custodial staff.
“The levy is the base of our day-to-day operations,” McCormick said. “It goes toward heating, cooling and maintenance for what is a pretty large facility and, of course, our staff.”
Should the levy fail, McCormick said, staff are likely to be cut and the museum times and outreach programs severely curtailed.
“We won’t be able do to our education programs like we are now,” McCormick said. If the levy fails, he said simply, “It’s gonna hurt.”
On the chopping block should the levy go down are school tours (1,000 students made it through the History Center each year in pre-Covid days), traveling exhibits, the Third-Grade Field Trip Program, open houses and many other offerings.
“Logan County history is Ohio history and is American history,” McCormick continued. “We feel it very important that we know our history and preserve it, collect it and promote it. People can take pride in our role in our country’s history and it’s important that we hold onto that. Like our levy slogan says, ‘It costs so little to save so much.’”
