Ordinance that would cut the city’s tax revenue in half was rejected in a three-four vote by members of the Bucyrus City Council on Tuesday.
Then the members of the Council voted unanimously to support an emergency law that would provide a 0.25%, five-year additional income tax for safety nets. in the May election.
Rep. Kevin Myers, R-at-large, said his lawmakers have given him an “overwhelming message” that they oppose debt relief.
“As I said before, I believe we have a responsibility to try to spread that burden equally among all our citizens who pay taxes, not just those who work outside the city, ” Myers said after the vote. “My goal is to see if this tax can be passed so that it can be distributed to all taxpayers, instead of just the 1,700 who work outside the city. “.
Currently, the city gives residents who work in another municipality and pay income tax there a tax credit of up to 2%. This law would have reduced this debt to 1%, recommended by Mayor Jeff Reser as a way to bring much needed revenue into the city’s finances.
The vote against the Myers measure; Brenton Potter, R-First Ward; C. Aaron Sharrock, D-Second Ward; and Steve Young, independent-Fourth Ward. Terry Spiegel, R-Third Ward; Mark Makeever, Ri broad; and Dan Wirebaugh, independent-at-large; vote in favor of the measure.
“I’m not happy with the fact that we’re going after one part of our community and not looking for other ways,” Sharrock said. “We don’t make cuts anywhere else that needs to be taken… We’re always looking at cutting jobs, but we refuse to cut wages.
Asking voters to decide on the additional tax is a better option, he said.
“That gives the people of this community the right to say – we have it on the ballot, the people can vote on it, and it goes directly to the services it should go to.” ,” Sharrock said.
The money from the reduced income tax would have been split between the city’s public funds, roads and safety services. The additional income tax will provide special funds for security services.
Of the This is the second time that the council has rejected the reduction of the financial debt.
In the first reading on December 20, the council voted on the law as an emergency measure, which requires a 5-2 majority to pass. The vote was 4-3 in favor of the measure, with Potter, Sharrock and Young voting against.
Then the second reading of the ceremony was held on the 3rd of January.
Myers explained why he changed his vote.
“I was told that it could not be done in the middle of the year at that time, which was a false statement,” he said. “As soon as it was said that it is possible to vote in the middle of the year, I believe that the right thing to do is to try to spread the same to all voters, then we can see that It was a decision at the time. I think we were ultimately led to believe that was the only way we could survive, financially, this coming year, which is no more. happen.
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