Two Orange Township Levies Are Headed to the Ballot: What Homeowners Should Know

If you live in Orange Township, there are going to be a couple of important local decisions waiting for you on the ballot.

And because the words “tax levy” can make people's eyes glaze over almost immediately, I think this is worth slowing down and talking about.

According to reporting from the Delaware Gazette, Orange Township voters are expected to see two township levies on the ballot.

For homeowners, this isn't simply election news.

Property-tax levies can affect your household budget, while the services those levies support can directly affect the community where you live.

So whether your first reaction is:

“Our township needs these services.”

or

“My property taxes are already high enough.”

I think the best place to start is understanding what you're actually voting on.

First, Orange Township Already Approved a Fire Levy This Year

This is important because it would be easy to confuse the upcoming ballot issues with the fire levy Orange Township residents voted on earlier this year.

In May 2026, Orange Township voters approved a 2-mill additional fire levy for five years.

The Delaware County Board of Elections reports that the measure passed with approximately 59% of the vote.

Orange Township says that levy is expected to generate approximately $4.56 million annually and will cost about $70 per $100,000 of appraised property value, with collections beginning in 2027.

For a home appraised at $400,000, for example, that calculation would equal approximately $280 annually.

That levy supports things such as fire and EMS staffing, equipment, training, buildings, ambulance services and other emergency-response expenses.

So when we're talking about the two additional ballot issues being reported for Orange Township, don't automatically assume we're talking about another vote on that same fire levy.

We're not.

Why Does Orange Township Use Levies?

Townships operate a little differently than cities.

Orange Township's fiscal department explains that several major township services are supported through voter-approved levy funds.

Those include:

Fire and EMS.

Roads and bridges.

Parks and recreation.

The township maintains separate special-revenue funds so money collected for those purposes is used for the intended service.

For example, road levy funds support road-related expenses.

Parks levy funds support the township's parks and trails as well as the North Orange Aquatic Center.

And fire levy dollars support the Orange Township Fire Department.

That means when you see a township levy on your ballot, you're being asked to make a fairly direct decision:

Do we continue, increase, decrease or add funding for a particular local service?

Renewal Levy vs. Additional Levy: What's the Difference?

This is one of the most important things to understand before voting on any property-tax levy.

A renewal levy generally continues an existing levy.

An additional levy creates new millage.

You can also see terms such as replacement, renewal with an increase or renewal with a decrease.

Those distinctions matter because two measures that both say “2 mills” can have very different effects on your actual tax bill depending on how they're structured and when the original levy was approved.

That's why I wouldn't decide how I feel about a levy based solely on the number of mills.

I want to know:

Is it new or existing?

How much will it actually cost per $100,000 of appraised value?

How much money will it generate?

How long will it last?

Exactly what will the money fund?

Those answers are far more useful than simply seeing “X mills” on a campaign sign.

Orange Township Has a History of Supporting Local Levies

It's also worth looking at how Orange Township residents have voted in the past.

According to the Delaware County Board of Elections, voters approved a road and bridge renewal levy in November 2022 with 10,324 votes in favor and 4,182 against.

That same election included a parks and recreation renewal levy, which passed 9,509 to 4,940.

Fire levies have also repeatedly received voter approval.

A fire renewal passed in 2024.

An additional fire levy passed in 2023.

And the new five-year 2-mill fire levy passed this May.

That doesn't tell anyone how they should vote in November.

But it does give us useful context about how township services have historically been funded.

Then There's the Elephant in the Room: Property Taxes

This is where the conversation gets harder.

Central Ohio homeowners have become increasingly aware of property taxes, particularly after rising property valuations.

When your home's appraised value increases substantially, it's understandable to look at another levy request and think:

How much more is this going to cost me?

That's a completely reasonable question.

And I think every levy campaign should make that answer extremely easy for homeowners to find.

Not just millage.

Not just projected revenue.

Give residents the estimated annual cost for a:

$300,000 home.

$400,000 home.

$500,000 home.

$750,000 home.

Then homeowners can understand the actual household impact.

Growth Has a Cost, Too

Orange Township has another challenge that can't really be separated from this conversation.

We've grown.

A lot.

More residents mean more cars.

More roads being used.

More calls for fire and EMS.

More people using parks.

More traffic.

More infrastructure.

More demand on township services.

That's part of living in one of the most desirable and rapidly changing portions of Delaware County.

Growth can bring new businesses, housing, amenities and economic opportunity.

But growth isn't free.

Someone eventually has to maintain the roads.

Someone has to answer the emergency calls.

Someone has to maintain the parks and trails.

And someone has to pay for those services.

The legitimate debate is over how much those services should cost, how efficiently they're being delivered and how the cost should be shared.

That's exactly the kind of conversation a levy vote is supposed to create.

And Homeowners Are Allowed to Ask Hard Questions

Supporting your community doesn't mean automatically voting yes for every levy.

And caring about taxes doesn't mean automatically voting no.

I think homeowners should ask questions.

How has the existing money been spent?

How much has revenue increased as the township has grown?

How much are expenses increasing?

What happens if the levy passes?

What happens if it fails?

Are there projects or services that would be delayed?

Would staffing change?

Are there alternative funding sources?

How long will this levy remain in place?

Those aren't anti-government questions.

They're responsible taxpayer questions.

Why I Pay Attention to This as a Realtor

Property taxes are part of housing affordability.

Period.

When we're talking about whether someone can afford a house, the conversation can't stop at the sale price or mortgage rate.

A homeowner's monthly housing expense can include:

Principal.

Interest.

Property taxes.

Homeowners insurance.

HOA or condo fees.

And sometimes additional assessments.

That's why two houses with identical $450,000 price tags can have noticeably different monthly costs.

When I'm helping someone evaluate a home, I want them looking at the whole payment, not simply the price.

But Taxes Aren't the Only Thing Buyers Evaluate

There's another side to that equation.

Buyers also care about the community those taxes help support.

They notice roads.

They notice parks.

They notice trails.

They care about emergency-response services.

They look at recreation opportunities.

They pay attention to how communities maintain public spaces.

So there's always a balance.

People don't necessarily want the lowest possible taxes at any cost.

They generally want to feel they're receiving value for what they're paying.

And different residents will reasonably define that value differently.

What Should Orange Township Homeowners Do Before Election Day?

Don't vote based on a Facebook comment.

And don't vote based solely on a campaign sign.

Read the actual ballot language.

Look at the township's financial information.

Find out exactly how much each measure would cost based on your home's appraised value.

Understand what happens if it passes.

Understand what happens if it fails.

Then make your own decision.

That's how local government is supposed to work.

Frequently Asked Questions About Orange Township Levies

Are Orange Township voters seeing levy issues in 2026?

Yes. The Delaware Gazette has reported that two Orange Township levy measures are headed to the ballot.

Didn't Orange Township already vote on a fire levy?

Yes. Orange Township voters approved a 2-mill, five-year additional fire levy in May 2026.

How much does the May fire levy cost homeowners?

Orange Township estimates the approved fire levy will cost $70 annually per $100,000 of appraised property value.

That would translate to approximately $210 annually on $300,000 of appraised value, $280 on $400,000, and $350 on $500,000.

When will the approved fire levy begin being collected?

The levy begins collecting in calendar year 2027.

How are Orange Township roads funded?

Orange Township says its road levy fund operates using voter-approved levy revenue. The township also receives road-related revenue through motor vehicle license taxes, gasoline taxes and permissive motor vehicle license taxes.

How are Orange Township parks funded?

The township's parks levy fund supports the expansion and maintenance of parks and trails as well as the North Orange Aquatic Center. The most recent parks levy referenced by the township was approved by voters in 2022.

Do property-tax levies matter when buying a house?

Absolutely. Property taxes contribute to a homeowner's total monthly housing expense, so buyers should evaluate estimated taxes along with mortgage principal and interest, insurance and applicable association fees.

The Bottom Line

I'm going to be watching these two ballot issues closely.

Not because I want to tell anyone how to vote.

I don't.

But because local decisions like these affect both our household budgets and the communities we're building.

Orange Township isn't the same community it was 10, 20 or 30 years ago.

We've grown tremendously.

And with that growth comes a continuing conversation about roads, parks, public safety, infrastructure and what we're willing to pay to maintain the quality of life that attracted so many people here in the first place.

Before Election Day, take a few minutes to understand exactly what each levy does and what it would cost your household.

Then vote based on the facts.

Because while national politics gets most of the attention, sometimes the decisions that affect our everyday lives the most are sitting much closer to home.

Sources

This article was inspired by the Delaware Gazette's August 26, 2026 reporting, “Two levies headed to ballot in Orange Twp.” Because the Gazette article was not directly accessible at the time this blog was prepared, supporting information about Orange Township's existing levy structure and voting history was independently verified using Orange Township and Delaware County Board of Elections records.