CHILLICOTHE — Chillicothe City Schools is asking voters to reconsider a tax question they rejected by the narrowest of margins in May, and district leaders took their case to Chillicothe City Council this week in a presentation held in council chambers on Oct. 12, 2026.
District Treasurer Nick Overly outlined the proposal for council members: a 0.75 percent earned income tax that would appear on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot. If voters approve it, the levy would run for a five-year term and would apply to earned income such as salaries, wages, tips and self-employment earnings.
The tax would not apply to several other kinds of income. According to the district’s levy information, Social Security benefits, pensions, interest earnings and capital gains would all be excluded, a structure the district says is meant to focus the burden on income earned from work while shielding retirees and investment income.
The November vote is the district’s second attempt this year at the same rate. In the May 5, 2026 election, Ross County voters defeated the 0.75 percent proposal by just 61 votes, with 1,797 ballots cast in favor and 1,858 against — a margin of less than 1 percent, close enough that district leaders concluded a second, better-explained campaign was worth attempting.
School officials have been taking the details directly to residents ahead of the vote. The district has already held public presentations on the levy, including an Oct. 13 session at the middle school, and its frequently-asked-questions document walks voters through the ballot language and the district’s finances in a seven-page explainer posted on the district website.
One more public session is planned shortly before Election Day, on Nov. 1 in the Chillicothe Middle and High School cafeteria, giving residents a final chance to question district leaders about what the tax would raise, what it would cost a working household, and what happens to school budgets if it fails again.
For Chillicothe families, the stakes are concrete either way. Approval would give the district a new, dedicated stream of operating revenue tied to local paychecks for the next five years, while a second rejection would leave school leaders to close their budget gap without it, and would likely end discussion of an earned income tax for the foreseeable future.
Voters across Ross County will decide the question on Nov. 3, when polls are open statewide. Residents who want to review the district’s levy FAQ before voting can find it through the Chillicothe City Schools website, and absentee and early voting are already under way in Ohio for the November election.
