Another Dublin Levy Could Surface in October

Local News

I got a message this week that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.

A few days ago, we told you about the farmers market at Dublin Presbyterian Church. Afterward, the pastor reached out to tell me traffic had been way up that evening — and that the vendors had their highest sales since the market began.

Then one of the farmers reached out too. He was excited about how the night had gone.

And I’ve heard many versions of this before. We’ve heard from organizations that saw more people at an event after we wrote about it, businesses that picked up new customers after advertising with us, and people who simply wanted us to know that someone walked through their door and said, “I heard about you in Dublin Daily.”

I have to admit, hearing those stories is incredibly humbling. I can tell you about a farmers market, a business or an event. But you’re the ones who decide to show up.

And this week was a nice reminder that where we choose to spend our money really does matter.

Most of us probably don’t think much about a $10 or $20 purchase once we’ve made it. But to the farmer who spent the day growing what you just bought, or the small business owner hoping people walk through the door, those purchases add up.

The people who showed up at that farmers market this week gave those vendors their best sales night since the market began. That’s a pretty great thing to hear.

I also want to thank everyone who has been mentioning Dublin Daily when you show up at these places. That means more to me than you probably realize.

At the end of the day, Dublin Daily can only remain free if local businesses and organizations see value in supporting it. When you tell someone you found them through Dublin Daily, you’re helping them see that what we’re doing here actually works.

So thank you for reading. Thank you for mentioning us.

But most of all, thank you for showing up.

Local News

It hasn’t even been three years since we approved a new operating levy for our schools.

In November 2023, Dublin approved a permanent operating levy that was estimated at the time to cost homeowners about $277 a year for every $100,000 of home value. For a $500,000 home, that worked out to roughly $1,380 a year.

And that wasn’t all that long after the previous one. Back in 2018, we approved another operating levy for Dublin Schools.

But by last fall, Dublin City Schools was already warning that it could need additional revenue again. The district expects to start spending more than it brings in this year, with its reserves potentially falling below the level it considers healthy by 2029.

In fact, the district used some pretty unmistakable language in its own explanation of the forecast: “future planning for a levy.” It also said new revenue could be needed within the next few years.

And we’re talking about a pretty big budget. Dublin Schools reported $296.6 million in operating revenue and $293.5 million in operating expenses last year.

All of that makes some recent discussion online particularly interesting. There are claims that an income-tax levy could come up at an October 1 Board meeting.

The October 1 meeting is on the district’s public calendar. Whether an income-tax levy is actually part of that conversation, though, we don’t know yet.

We’ll keep you updated as we learn more.