Celina voters defeat tax repeal

CELINA - City voters on Tuesday defeated a ballot issue that would have repealed a 0.5-percent income tax for police and fire expenses and replaced it with a tax at the same rate for police, fire and street expenses.

The seven-year repeal-and-replace income tax failed with 1,353 votes against and 1,125 votes for the measure, according to unofficial results from the Mercer County Board of Elections.

The city will continue to collect the 0.5-percent income tax, which generates about $1.6 million annually, for another three years but can only use the funds for police and fire expenses, not streets.

Celina Mayor Jeff Hazel said city council likely will try again next year to pass a repeal-and-replace income tax at the primary or general election. He attributed the downfall of the issue, in part, to some outspoken critics.

"I think (voters) had some misinformation but at the same time I am still pleased people got out to vote, and I think we certainly need to re-look at how the ballot (language) was written," Hazel told the newspaper.

At a city council meeting last week, former city treasurer Rick Mosier urged residents to vote against the levy because of ballot language he said would have given the city unrestricted use of the funds. Mosier said he supported the idea of funding the police, fire and streets with a half-percent income tax, but he couldn't vote for the initiative because it didn't specifically include the words "police and fire departments" in the language.

City officials explained their intent to fund police, fire and streets was clearly articulated in a resolution and language they had submitted to the Mercer County Board of Elections. County officials, not city officials, were responsible for the omission of the words "police" and "fire," they argued.

Assistant county prosecutor Andy Hinders earlier said the city's proposed ballot language was unclear. While clarifying it, he omitted the phrase "for support of the city's safety departments of fire and police."

Hazel on Tuesday night said the error was unfortunate and may have made some people nervous about the city's intent. City officials stated from day one that police and fire are critical core services that would have first priority, the mayor added.

Even if the city successfully gets a repeal-and-replace income tax levy passed next year, it wouldn't take effect until January 2016, Hazel said. No major residential street repair projects will be tackled next year other than a scheduled Ohio Department of Transportation repaving project on Wayne Street, according to Hazel.

The city maintains 90 miles of streets and alleys. ODOT grants cover only the cost of repairs to state highways and routes within the city.