City Income Tax Increase Does Not Affect State Lawmakers
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Who's Not Paying?
The city income tax hike that voters approved is in effect, but it does not affect state lawmakers or their staff.
NBC 4
The city income tax that voters approved in August is now in effect, but the hike does not affect state lawmakers or their staff.
Published: October 1, 2009
Updated: October 2, 2009
COLUMBUS, Ohio—If you live or work in Columbus, you will notice your next paycheck is a little smaller.
The city income tax that voters approved in August is now in effect, with a half-percent increase in the tax rate, which now stands at 2.5 percent.
The income tax hike does not affect state lawmakers or their staff.
A 1967 law exempts General Assembly members and employees from paying income taxes outside of their city of residence.
If a legislator or a legislator’s aide lives in Newark or Cleveland, they pay local income taxes in their respective hometown.
This allows them to keep the money in their district rather than have it collected in Columbus.
But for a Columbus worker who lives outside the city, the same option is not available.
The Columbus Dispatch looked into the matter and estimated the law will cost the city of Columbus roughly half a million dollars a year in income-tax revenue.
“If they work here, they ought to have to pay their taxes here,“ said Columbus resident Steve Fisher.
Whitehall resident Jeanette Mayo agreed, saying that it is unfair for lawmakers to avoid the tax that other workers who live outside of Columbus face.
“I have to pay Columbus taxes and Whitehall taxes. So they should have to pay taxes wherever they work just like we do,“ Mayo said. “You shouldn’t be privileged just because you work in the Statehouse.“
Most lawmakers left Columbus to return to their districts Thursday. One lawmaker who remained, Senator Capri Cafaro, a Hubbard Democrat, said she did not know enough about the law to speak on it. Cafaro did note that she lives in a township and because of that, she does not believe she pays local income taxes.
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Reader Reactions
REMEMBER, this “Political Manuever”, when voting time comes around! We as taxpayers, are burdened with bailing out incompetent ceo’s who flagrantly took bailout funds for lavish vacations and undeserved bonuses. Now our lawmakers, who draw up these issues, stick it to us, by, conveniently omitting themselves from the same taxes. They threatened us with police and firemen layoffs, and an increase in crime. Well, I think its a crime to deceive us taxpayers by putting the entire burden on us, and making sure it wouldnt affect their livelyhood. We as taxpayers, are the ones who are losing our JOBS, HOMES, INSURANCE, SELF-ESTEEM, and PIECE OF MIND. Because our wages and benefits are not tax-payer funded. WHERE IS OUR BAILOUT???
thats just a heap of junk figures nail the people save r selfs all dirty rabbits
This 1967 law is spurious.
just another point of lawmakers looking after each other. half a million how many police/fire personnel would that put to work. or how many park rec. would that reopen?
My husband works for the great state of ohio and his taxes went up today. But because we don’t live in Columbus he was not given the chance to vote it down. When did taxation without representation become the norm.
I can’t believe we just keep lining the pockets of lawmakers and government and exempting them from paying the exact taxes we do. And I really find it hard to believe that Capri Cafaro, a lawmaker in Columbus Ohio said she “did not know enough about the law to speak on it”. Are you kidding me? That’s like me saying I’m a chef and don’t know enough about cooking to speak about it. Give me a break.
How is it that Mayor Coleman didn’t catch this giant loophole that will cost the city half a million dollars a year? Oh, yes, that’s right, he’s getting the money from me and all the others who aren’t government (non)workers. Since he threatened to cut police and fire if the tax did not pass I expect them to show up within seconds when I need them. If they don’t show up that fast he better be here with them to answer why. I need a government job so I don’t have to pay taxes.
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