CANFIELD, Ohio (WKBN) — The committee formed to help pass the Canfield school levy held a public meeting Monday evening to convince people to vote yes.

The Mahoning County auditor was also there. People were hoping to learn about how much their taxes would go up if the levy passed.

The levy is for 7.5 mills and will generate $105 million over 36 years. The money will be used to build new elementary and middle schools and to renovate the high school.

About 80 people attended the meeting at the Canfield Library where Patrick Sculli, chairman of the school levy committee, laid out the reasons why the levy should be passed, starting with the poor condition of the 100-year-old middle school.

“They had plans to replace the windows because, as we’ve seen in some of the pictures, the windows are terrible. Water leaks in if it rains. The seals aren’t great. It’s cold. That had to be shelved because the boiler went,” said Sculli.

Sculli also told of a thermometer at C.H. Campbell Elementary that hit 91°F when the temperature outside was in the 70s.

“Teachers at C. H. Campbell set up cooling centers for the students,” said Sculli.

Sculli said if the levy passes, the owner of a house valued at $100,000 would pay an extra $263 a year, which means a $300,000 house would be an extra $789 a year and a $600,000 house would be an extra $1,578 a year.

Mahoning County Auditor Ralph Meacham talked about the recent revaluations of property and how they’re up by as much as 38% in Canfield.

“What causes property values to change? You do. You buy houses, you sell houses,” said Meacham.

But Meachum said that should the levy pass, the increased property values will have no effect on how much Canfield property owners will pay, that it will never be more than $263 per $100,000 in value.

“Good news is, might be good news that your house is now valued at more than you paid for it, but the taxes that you’re voting for this time will remain the same through the new re-evaluation,” said Meacham.

Election day is on Nov. 7 but early voting begins on Wednesday.