SchoolsThursday, November 5
Mentor Schools' levy passes by 171 votes while Willoughby-Eastlake's income tax fails
The 5AM Mentor team
If you live in the Mentor Schools district, Issue 5 passed by 171 votes Tuesday, 15,484 to 15,313, according to unofficial results from the Lake County Board of Elections. The five-year operating levy is estimated to bring in $9.6 million a year. Voters rejected larger requests in 2023 and in May.
- Cost: about $123 a year per $100,000 of property value
- Example: $246 a year for a $200,000 home
- Rate: 3.5 mills, with revenue starting in 2027
- Status: unofficial until outstanding ballots are counted and results certified
Mentor's levy passed by 171 votes; Willoughby-Eastlake's tax failed
Unofficial Lake County results; Mentor's 45 Election Day precincts reported
Mentor Schools Issue 5 (operating levy)
Willoughby-Eastlake Issue 8 (income tax)
Source: Cleveland.com
View as table
| Race | Candidate | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mentor Schools Issue 5 (operating levy) | For, won | 15,484 | 50.3% |
| Mentor Schools Issue 5 (operating levy) | Against | 15,313 | 49.7% |
| Willoughby-Eastlake Issue 8 (income tax) | For | 13,279 | 46.4% |
| Willoughby-Eastlake Issue 8 (income tax) | Against, won | 15,326 | 53.6% |
In Eastlake-based Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools, voters rejected Issue 8, a 0.75% earned income tax. Superintendent Patrick Ward announced an outside review of the district's finances, staffing and buildings. His letter doesn't say who will do it, what it will cost or when findings will come out. Before the election, officials said a defeat would mean one high school and one middle school starting in 2028-29. Mentor was one of nearly two dozen Northeast Ohio districts that gained voter support.
Sources: Cleveland.com, FOX 8 News