County Raises Sales Tax, Overrules Voters

Hamilton County commissioners strongly hinted in last week’s issue of CityBeat that they would do it, and today they carried through with the statement.

In a 2-1 vote that split along party lines, the commission today unilaterally raised Hamilton County’s sales tax to pay for construction of a new jail and other crime-related programs, bypassing putting the issue before voters. Democrats Todd Portune and David Pepper supported the increase, and Republican Pat DeWine was opposed.

“It’s time now to end the debate and end the posturing and act to solve this problem,” Portune said.

Under Ohio law, county commissioners have the authority to raise the sales tax by up to a half-cent without voter approval, although the decision is subject to referendum. Today’s decision became likely after some state legislators said they would block a plan to let Hamilton County hold a special election Aug. 7.

“When it comes to safety, we are talking about peoples’ lives,” Pepper said. “We can’t afford to wait any more to finally solve this problem.”

DeWine was disappointed that the tax decision wasn’t given to voters.

“We all agree that we need to add more jail spaces,” he said. “Through my efforts last year, this county added 400 jail spaces in Butler County, and last fall I supported placing before the voters a much more limited proposal to pay for jail construction. I simply cannot support the proposal that is before this commission. It is too expensive and not fiscally responsible.”

Also, DeWine said that the plan passed today is 2.5 times more costly than the plan rejected by voters in November 2006, by a 57-43 percent margin.

Portune and Pepper countered that that’s because the new plan will overhaul the county’s criminal justice system and try to reduce its nearly 70 percent recidivism rate by coordinating substance abuse treatment, counseling and probation programs for offenders. Further, it will generate operating funds for the jail, as well as for expanded sheriff’s patrols and money to help operate Hamilton County’s emergency communications system, they said.

With today’s vote, the county’s sales tax will jump by a half-cent, from 6.5 percent to 7 percent, for eight years, then be scaled back by a quarter cent, to 6.75 percent, for seven years. After 15 years the sales tax increase would expire. It would generate $736 million during that period.

DeWine was skeptical that the tax would ever expire and noted that only about $190 million goes toward a new jail, with the remainder going for other programs.

“The reality is that relatively little of what’s being proposed goes to adding new jail space,” he said. “The rest goes to costly new programs and ongoing county operations. In essence, what’s being voted on is an unparalleled expansion of county government.”

The tax hike will pay for building a $198 million, 1,800-bed adult jail in Cincinnati’s Camp Washington neighborhood at the site of a former Kahn’s meatpacking factory. The plan is designed to lessen jail overcrowding and stop the early release of prisoners.

Overcrowding has been a problem for at least 15 years and routinely causes the early release of nonviolent offenders. In 2005, for example, 266 inmates were released early.

— Kevin Osborne

Comments

[David Gallaher]

Let's see... a 7.7 percent tax increase.
Hmmm. What was my pay raise this year? Lower than the rate of inflation, as I recall, which is at about 4 percent. (So the tax increase is about 23 percent greater than the "core" rate of inflation?)
Anybody notice what's been happening to the price of gasoline lately?
Okay now.
And this new tax is going to do what for me and the Little Woman down here in OTR?
Are they still waging a War on Drugs?
How much is that costing?
I wonder if the more we spend on the War on Drugs, the more we will spend on jails? Is there light at the end of the tunnel?
Have a nice day.

[Marilyn]

And so, this is how democracy works? Interesting...

[gerard]

For once, David Gallagher is right.

[Neal]

I like the way those County Commissioners of ours work. When the voters of Hamilton County turn down a sales tax increase, they decide to ignore the voters and do it anyway. Nice, very nice.

At least after the stadium debacle, the voters learned not to be suckered again.

[chris marz]

Well since this didn't pass by the voter the last time for the minimum amount for the jail let's go for the gold and get tripple that since we only have to talk two guys into doin it. at least with the stadiums we got to see something out of it. We have taxes coming out of our ears. Freedom isn't free in Hamilton county. It's no wonder why most businesses are going across the river..