There’s been a lot of chatter lately about the street levy. Councilmembers Aaron Sharrock and Kevin Myers have both come out in support of the measure, which—let’s be clear—is a renewal, not a new tax. And look—Bucyrus might not have much to brag about, but our roads? Objectively some of the best in the state for a town our size. Drive five minutes in Tiffin—hell, drive through any small town in Ohio—and tell me how your suspension’s doing. Meanwhile, here, people actually notice how well-kept our streets are.
That didn’t happen by accident.
You can argue that in the past, our money hasn’t always gone where it should. You can argue it’s been mismanaged, even irresponsibly spent. You can even argue—credibly—that in prior administrations, things bordered on criminal. But the operative words there are in the past. It’s time we start making a real distinction between former leaders and the people currently trying to clean up the mess.
Today’s administration isn’t perfect—far from it. You can criticize them for transparency, for decisions you disagree with, or for moving too slow. But if you’re accusing them of corruption? Of self-enrichment or backroom deals? I’d be the first to hear about it, and the first to sound the alarm. And I haven’t heard that about a single person currently in City Hall.
We also need to separate this levy from other areas of city finance. Yes, the waterworks fund is a mess. I won’t sugarcoat that, and I’m sure City Auditor Kali Lewis would agree to some extent. But that’s a completely different part of the budget. That’s not where your street levy dollars go. In fact, the administration has already halted all non-essential waterworks projects. They took responsibility and pumped the brakes. That’s a good thing.
But the street levy? It funds something we’ve done right. We’ve maintained good roads without overspending, without flashy ribbon-cuttings or photo ops. The money has been used efficiently, judiciously—and, okay, maybe even deliciously (cut me some slack, I’m running out of adverbs). But the point is: it’s working. And if we want that to continue, we need to renew the levy.
In a few months, Bucyrians are going to be asked: do we want to keep having nice things, or do we want to be mad for the sake of it?
Now, let’s talk about the out-of-town tax credit—the boogeyman of every levy debate. I’ve seen folks say they’ll vote against this levy just because City Council might remove that credit someday. Some say they’ll vote against all levies from here on out if it ever goes away.
Let’s be real: that’s not civic engagement. That’s “take my ball and go home” energy.
Instead, what if we changed perspectives? Do you realize how rare it is for a city to not charge you income tax if you work out of town? We’re talking about one of the only municipalities in the state where that’s the case. Instead of seeing that as something we’re “about to lose,” maybe start by recognizing how lucky we’ve been to have it this long.
And just to really drive it home—some of the same people who are now fear-mongering about losing that tax credit were the ones championing its removal just a few years ago. They claimed it would add $100K a month to the city’s coffers. But now, they’re acting like protecting it is their hill to die on. Curious how quickly principles shift when it’s politically convenient.
And while we’re naming what’s really going on here: not all opposition is bad faith, but some of it very clearly is. I’m not talking about regular folks who are skeptical or have questions. That’s fair game. I’m talking about the people pushing fake super PACs that aren’t registered with the state, spreading misinformation, and pretending to represent the public interest when they don’t even live here. These are people who aren’t running for office. They don’t show up to meetings. They don’t have skin in the game. But they want to burn it all down—and then complain about the ashes.
These aren’t agents of change. They’re agents of chaos.
They wouldn’t piss on you if you were on fire, but they’ll pretend to care long enough to sow discord and chase clout. They’ll shout about corruption without evidence, obstruct every attempt to move forward, and offer zero solutions of their own. Because they don’t want solutions. They just want to be able to say “I told you so.”
But being “right” in the ruins of a town you helped sabotage doesn’t mean much.
So here’s the choice: Do we keep doing what works, or do we give in to a handful of voices who only show up to say “no” because others dared to say “yes”? Do we want smooth streets and forward momentum, or do we want to stay stuck in the past?
It’s time to decide.
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