Petitions turned in to fight Lorain tax credit reduction
Stephen Szucs | The Chronicle-Telegram
LORAIN — More than 3,500 signatures were turned in Wednesday in hopes of giving voters a say about the city’s plan to reduce the income tax credit.
A group of petitioners led by Republican Andy Winemiller, who briefly served as Lorain safety service director, and Republican Mike Scherach, a former two-term law director for the city, had to gather 1,820 signatures from registered Lorain voters in order to qualify the issue for the ballot.
The group collected 3,533 signatures. The Lorain County Board of Elections will determine how many of the signatures are valid.
Winemiller and Scherach led a successful effort in June to get the city’s license plate fee increase on the ballot after the Board of Elections verified 2,023 of the 3,156 signatures turned in.
Both tax increases are part of a plan by Mayor Tony Krasienko to improve conditions in the city.
City Council approved the $15 increase in license plate fees May 27 and raised the amount the city gets from each plate from $5 to $20.
The additional money would generate more than $1 million a year for road resurfacing and would be earmarked to help pay off the $5.3 million in bonds the city uses for street repairs.
On June 23, Council approved reducing the city’s 2 percent income tax credit gradually over three years to 1 percent for residents who work outside the city.
Beginning in 2009, the income tax credit will be reduced to 1.5 percent. In 2010, the credit will be cut to 1.25 percent. The final reduction to 1 percent will occur in 2011.
The additional funds are expected to lift the city out of a seven-year budget deficit and nearly $1 million in the black by 2010.
Mayor Krasienko has said the additional money is much-needed and would go toward housing, infrastructure, safety and economic development.
Scherach said reducing the income tax credit for those working outside the city just isn’t right.
“It’s unfair those people would get double-taxed,” he said. “It’s going to result in driving a lot of these people out of Lorain, and the city will be worse off.”
Contact Stephen Szucs at 329-7129 or sszucs@chroniclet.com.
| |
|
Filed by Stephen Szucs | The Chronicle-Telegram July 24th, 2008 in Local and State. Popularity: 2% |
 Email this story
 Print this story
Read comments and discuss this story
Report an innappropriate comment
|
In order to comment, you must agree to our user agreement
and discussion guidelines.
You must be registered and logged in to post a comment. If you aren't already registered, click here. If you are registered, click here to log in.
Write a Comment