Portsmouth City Council adds tax levy to the ballot

PORTSMOUTH, Ohio (WOWK) — The flood defense tax levy is set to be renewed once again after the Portsmouth City Council added it to the ballot for residents to vote on in November.

This would renew a tax that provides funds for the maintenance, operation and upgrades of the city’s flood defense systems.

The reason why this is being brought to the ballot is because the proposed tax would go beyond the amount that the city council could approve independently.

Sean Dunne, a member of the city council, said that this is a necessity for a city that sits along a river.

“The mixed blessing of a river city is we have a river that we can benefit from and enjoy,” Dunne said. “But at the same time, we have to manage certain threats from that river. And, this is one of the necessary things that we have to do.”

If approved, the tax would go into effect in 2026 and continue for five years. The vote on the tax takes place on the ballot during the Nov. 4 election.