Settle: There Are Even More Taxes Coming

 

Settell and Cox Want City to Provide Complete Information to Voters

 

Loveland, Ohio - This LOVELAND MAGAZINE HD VIDEO is from the last council meeting on August 14. Councilwoman Angie Settle said, referencing the proposed income tax increase on the November 6 ballot, “This isn’t going to take care of any other problems related to fire and EMS - that’s my point.”

Settle wants residents to know that voters likely will face a Fire and EMS levy in 2014. She wants that information included in a recently prepared pamphlet that the Administration is planing to mail to residents. She said, “To let citizen’s know that there could be something else coming.”

Linda Cox also said the information needs to be included in the pamphlet. “Individuals have family budgets and they need to plan accordingly too. So, I think it is important to include what Mrs. Settell suggested.” Cox also wants the pamphlet to include information about an increase in water rates to build a new water tower.

City Manager Thomas Carroll responded that he would consider putting the information in the pamphlet, however he also said, “I am quite pleased and proud with the amount of information the city puts out given the size of our organization. It may not be in the form or fashion that everybody would want to receive it, but if people are so inclined to go on-line and read on our Budget Page, there is a tremendous amount of information.”

Carroll confirmed that the Finance Committee has “urged council to raise rates promptly” to build a new water tower. He said that in September he may be in a better position to estimate what the increase will be. He said he is waiting on engineering estimates.

Carroll said, “I understand the need for people to plan their budgets. I think the amount of information we have out there presently for someone so inclined to find, it is quite extensive.”

The pamphlet has been released, and is now on the City Web site (Citizen's Loveland Budget Guide). However the information Settell and Cox wanted included; was not added.

Residents will vote yes or no to raise the current rate of 1% to 1.25%; those paying income taxes to other municipalities will get a full credit of 1.25%.

An additional $857,309 annually would be collected by the city. The City Administration estimates that the average household in Loveland would pay an additional $172 in income tax per year under the proposed increase.