Officials Declare Victory On Income Tax
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Issue 1 Reaction
Unofficial results indicate Columbus voters approved the half-percent income tax hike.
NBC 4
Unofficial results from the Franklin County Board of Election indicate Columbus voters approved the half-percent income tax hike Tuesday.
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Unofficial results from the Franklin County Board of Elections indicated Columbus voters approved the half-percent income tax hike Tuesday.
Tell NBC 4 your thoughts by posting a comment below.
NBC 4 got right to the point on the day after the special election.
Columbus told its voters the city income tax had to be raised from 2 percent to 2.5 percent because it is facing a budget gap of $115 million.
Otherwise, more than 300 police officers and more than 200 firefighters could have received pink slips. Essential city services also would have been cut.
According to unofficial results, there were 45,970 votes (51 percent) in favor of the issue and 42,943 votes (48 percent) against.
The city said the voters’ support of Issue 1 means cuts have been averted.
Mayor Mike Coleman thanked city voters for their approval and support for Issue 1.
“In times of crisis, we step up. In times of crisis, when there’s a call to action, our people, our city steps up. I am proud of how we have accomplished this,” Coleman said Tuesday night.
Coleman said the fire and police layoffs and expected cuts won’t happen thanks to the voters’ approval.
People who work in Columbus won’t notice a difference in their paychecks immediately. The increase will go into effect Oct. 1, 2009.
Columbus workers will pay $50 more for every $10,000 they make annually.
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Reader Reactions
I am amazed at how this city is run. I now plan on moving out of here due to the fact I cant afford to pay more money out.I am sure that there is alot of people out there during these hard times who cant afford more. I drive by firestations and see them sitting around doing nothing. Everyday there is a patrol car sitting at the fire station on West Case rd. instead of out doing his job.Beyond that the city leaders dont have a clue how to budget, spend money or do anything right.They hire out of state workers to do projects, how does that help the cities economy out? Hire companies in the city and then collect the income tax from them duhhh. A No clue city government at its best.
Taxation without Representation - How American is THAT???
OK - getting beyond that - Coleman pushing for a Basball Stadium we never needed and a Bullet Train no one will ride…
What will be the next big project to waste all that Urgently needed money on???
NTT123 - sorry for the late retort but I didn’t have a chance to get online last night.
The statement I made earlier (about being taxed in Gahanna and Columbus despite Gahanna’s rate being lower) was merely a correction on the post you made prior to mine where you stated that people don’t have to pay taxes in cities with lower rates.
I never argued nor mentioned taxation without representation, which was brought up in your response to me. While that may have been your purpose with prior commentary - I just felt the need to correct you (and a few others) with the fact that many people do pay dual municipality taxes.
You are correct, it’s something that needs to be taken up with Gahanna, but that’s not the point I was trying to make.
Don’t assume that people in cities with lower taxes don’t have to pay anything to the city they reside in. In some instances that may be true, just not in all cases, as you implied.
I have no problem paying both municipalities since I use both of their services. My problem is that alternatives were not explored and scare tactics were used by the Mayor of Columbus. I have more problems with the campaign than anything else.
As a Columbus retiree, Tuesday’s income tax vote affects my pocketbook almost not at all. Yet my vote was a strong NO. Why?
(1) Despite a Dispatch poll that showed that 80 % of responders felt the request should have been for a TEMPORARY increase (pending better economic times), to come before the voters again in a few years for a renewal vote, having a temporary increase was never seriously considered. And, apparently in case some voters went to the polls today thinking that maybe the tax WAS to be temporary, the ballot wording DID NOT MENTION THAT IT WAS PERMANENT. Is that even legal?
(2) Columbus wasted big bucks to hold a special election for the income tax vote (also a calculated political ploy to seek a small turnout for the vote). Wasteful and unfair.
(3) Despite the fire and police leaders saying that if the vote failed, there MAY be layoffs of POSSIBLY X people, the situation was presented by the Mayor (and implied by some TV reporters) as a sure thing if the vote failed. How much time do you think Columbus police, firemen, and many other city employees spent in the last many weeks, working for Issue 1 instead of what their real job was? And I read that the police, in order to “get out the vote” were offering free rides to the polls. What % of those riders, after being a captive audience en route to the polls, voted their un-influenced opinion?
Tis a sad day for Columbus, and I’m eager for a new Mayor.
And it continues… arguing about the TAX!! IT"S THE POLITICIANS (Democrats, Republicans, Whoever) who have MISMANAGED the whole thing for YEARS!! What are YOU going to do to get them OUT of OFFICE?? Argue about the TAX?? COME ON!! Let’s have some action, not more words!! How about forming a group, supporting new candidates, ANYTHING to GET THEM OUT OF OFFICE! Does NO ONE have ANY ideas about this so it DOESN"T happen again in the near future. PLEASE!!! Get on Facebook, form a group (like KTBO! - Kick the Bums out!). Please DO something!! It’s because “we the people” just sat on our hands for so long & let them get away with it. INSIST on balanced budget (don’t think it will happen just because we got a tax increase!) from the candidate of YOUR choice!!
if the people affected by the tax increase did not get a chance to vote then yes, it is taxation without representation. They are the ones that get punished, also this now gives the surrounding suburbs a chance to now say they need to raise the tax to meet columbus. we all get it in the END with this one, thank you voters of central ohio, you really have no idea what is going on. Most of the voteers don’t pay taxes anyways, you just feeed off mine.
And in this climate, tax avoidance is more important than ever..at all levels.
Best deal is to live and earn income in an unincorporated area. then just put up with various property tax differences.
NTT123 - Thanks. I sometimes get attacked on here, and it really bothered me when someone said you must not have gone to Govt class when in fact you were right.
Curly….you are extremely wise. While I can assume we don’t necessarily agree on the outcome of the election I am grateful for your wise comments. They were much more succinct than mine.
Gratefully,
NTT123
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