Columbus Police, Firefighters Unions Throw Support Behind City Income Tax Hike
Published: May 21, 2009
Updated: May 21, 2009
COLUMBUS, Ohio —Columbus police and firefighters are throwing their support behind a proposed .5-percent city income tax increase.
Mayor Michael Coleman said he’s not using a scare tactic when he tells voters that firefighters and police officers probably will be laid off if the income tax in not increased in August.
At a joint gathering Thursday, police and firefighter union leaders announced their memberships voted Wednesday night to endorse the tax hike proposal.
Local Fraternal Order of Police President Jim Gilbert said that with retirements approaching and no new police recruit class, law enforcement officers cannot withstand further cuts and maintain current safety levels for residents without jeopardizing safety.
“We stand to lose so much if one police officer is cut from our area,“ said Joyce Hughes, president of the Weinland Park Civic Association.
While city and community leaders say the .5 percent income tax hike will bring needed funding to the city during dire financial times, some residents want more assurances that the unions and Coleman will make further financial sacrifices themselves before supporting the tax increase.
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Reader Reactions
I hear the argument that there has been no tax increase in 27 years and it is only small change ($5/$1000). But this is a PERCENTAGE increase. What happens after we keep tacking on percentage increases indefinitely? We run out of income to tax eventually. My point is that unless General Fund spending is brought inline with tax receipts, this is only a temporary solution and the first of many future percentage tax increases or fees. 2% should be enough to run city government if you stick to basics and keep compensation/benefits/overtime under control. And small change in an ash tray? Tell that to the person who is just getting by. That change in the ash tray probably is spent on food or housing.
Pastry jokes? That’s uh… clever. It’s been 27 years since a tax hike. A 2.5% income tax is by no means unreasonable and the solution to the leadership problem presents itself every few years. The cops and firefighters didn’t decide to light those arches and neither did the employees of the rec centers or the tow truck drivers. We shouldn’t penalize them, or ourselves, for questionable financial decisions made by the city’s administration. 5 extra dollars for every $1000.00 you make in income. You can find that in the change dish of your car.
This is news?
How about cutting something else out like the meditation rooms they just built in some Govt.offices with the big leather recliners .what about the foot massagers they give to the employees to place under their desks. How about cutting 4 hours of dedicated time to potlucks.Im sure the dumba*s snail rail is on the books still or do we need to spend another couple million to find out if its a good move.What the h*ll does the mayor need a driver for anyway he seems perfectly capable of driving he has been driving us from behind for years.
I hate being dry cracked.
CHANGE!!! ANOTHER LIE PANDERER
The mayor needs a pink slip
go to your fired dot org
send the mayor a pink slip
“Local Fraternal Order of Police President Jim Gilbert said that with retirements approaching and no new police recruit class, law enforcement officers cannot withstand further cuts and maintain current safety levels for residents without jeopardizing safety.“
Fear! Danger! Vote or die!
He’s right though. A few struggling doughnut shops might not make it without some hungry new cops on the force.
How about the mayor stops spending millions on wasteful projects like the Lincoln Theater, converting one way downtown streets to two way streets, and installing parks nobody goes to? He needs to concentrate tax money on things that we really want, like city services, police, fire, streets, ect. But he refuses, so please lets not reelect him next time! Hold off on the ‘fluff’ until we have a surplus, or wait, how about save some of it?
I know it was a City Income Tax hike, just had a brain fart in my previous post.
Mayor Coleman needs to go! Get him out of office. There has been so much mismanagement under his time in office. He is a joke. If the bond issue (or whatever it is called) fails, crime goes up, you can bet he will be the only one protected, what with his three drivers. What a joke. And what about all the money his wife stole - any of that ever get paid back? Bottom line, if police and fire are cut or laid off, the community will suffer. We can vote yes for parks, but question about voting for police and fire. Scary!! Oh, wait, I guess the parks will be where all the criminal acitivity will happen, we better keep those open, what was I thinking.
Funny, thats the exact same drivel the Gubornator is trying to sell in Califunia. Hey MAYOR… How ‘bout you make some real cuts before threatening you constituents. But that’s okay let’s drive the state capitol right into the ocean of federal bailouts - Oops.. I mean federal assistance, oh wait we’re already there. So how’s those 27, i mean 24 or was it 23 CPD officers doing?
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