Issue 6: Cuyahoga Falls City School District Levy

Summit County, Ohio · November 3, 2026

Proposed Tax Levy (Additional), Cuyahoga Falls City School District

Full ballot text

An additional tax for the benefit of the Cuyahoga Falls City School District for the purpose of current expenses that the county fiscal officer estimates will collect $6,148,893 annually, at a rate not exceeding 5.5 mills for each $1 of taxable value, which amounts to $193 for each $100,000 of the county fiscal officer's market value, for 5 years, commencing in 2026, first due in calendar year 2027. The county fiscal officer has certified that the amount by which the carry-over balance in the district's general operating budget from the preceding fiscal year exceeds the district's general fund expenditures made in the preceding fiscal year is $0, which is 0% of those expenditures.

What it does

An additional 5.5-mill property tax for five years for the Cuyahoga Falls City School District's day-to-day operating costs, collecting an estimated $6.1 million a year starting with 2027 tax bills. It would cost $193 a year for each $100,000 of a property's county-appraised value. The ballot also discloses, as state law now requires, that the district's carry-over balance does not exceed a year of spending.

How it lines up with you

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Dossier

Researched 2026-09-23 · Claude Code research agent with web search

A yes vote adds a new 5.5-mill, five-year property tax for Cuyahoga Falls City School District operating costs (about $193 a year per $100,000 of home value), on top of the district's existing levies; a no vote leaves funding unchanged as the district forecasts a nearly $4 million shortfall by the 2028-29 school year. The district's Board of Education, including Board President Anthony Gomez, supports the levy as necessary to avoid program cuts, while no organized opposition campaign was found, though Ohio voters broadly rejected school levies statewide in the May 2026 primary.

For

Cuyahoga Falls City School District Board of Education (Board President Anthony Gomez) source

Against

None found.

What it does

Yes approves a new, additional 5.5-mill property tax for Cuyahoga Falls schools' current expenses, raising an estimated $6,148,893 a year for five years (2026-2030), first billed 2027 — about $193 a year per $100,000 of a home's market value (Signal Akron). Being "additional," it stacks on existing levies, including a 9.97-mill levy renewed in November 2025. No keeps current funding, with no new operating revenue.

Why it's on the ballot

The Board of Education placed it on the ballot by local resolution — no state legislative vote is involved, unlike a constitutional amendment. The district projects a nearly $4 million shortfall by 2028-29 and has drawn down reserves annually (Signal Akron). At a June 24, 2026 meeting, Board President Anthony Gomez said the board was drafting a "statement of facts" on cuts it would make if the levy fails, calling the options "not things I think anyone wants" (Signal Akron).

Who supports it and why

No dedicated support committee appeared in searches. District officials, including Gomez, call the levy necessary to sustain salaries and building operations and avoid the cuts noted above (Signal Akron).

Who opposes it and why

No organized opposition to this levy specifically appeared in searches. Statewide, voters rejected most school levies in May 2026 (24 of 66 passed), and Summit County's Barberton, Norton, Tallmadge, and Twinsburg districts saw levies fail, suggesting a tax-resistant climate, though no source connects that to opposition here (Signal Akron; Ideastream Public Media).

Money

No campaign-finance filings or committee activity for or against the levy appeared in searches, typical for a small local levy. Filings, if any, would appear with the Summit County Board of Elections.

What to watch

Under state law, a school district whose general-fund carry-over exceeds a full year of spending can't put a new operating levy on the ballot, and the ballot must state the excess; Cuyahoga Falls certified $0, so the levy qualifies (Ohio Secretary of State advisory). The levy runs five years, so voters face another renewal decision around 2031.

What we couldn't find

The district's finalized list of specific cuts if the levy fails, still being drafted as of June 2026; any committee spending for or against; and full Akron Beacon Journal coverage, which is largely paywalled.

Sources (7)