Saturday, October 23, 2004 - 02:57 PM Both sides on the property tax repeal measure. Defining the Issues Issue 4: Why or why not? Vote “NO” By Cincinnati Councilmember James R. Tarbell I urge you to vote NO on Issue 4, the elimination of City property taxes over a ten-year period. The property tax contributes $30 million each year to the City’s general fund, which provides revenue for many of the City’s basic services, such as Police and Fire protection and garbage collection. Since the property tax supplies 10% of the funding for these services, there is no way that the funding can be eliminated without the services suffering. Almost every city in the nation is supported by at least two of three important revenue streams: property tax, income tax, and fees for service. There are cities without a property tax or without an income tax, but those cities charge fees for services such as garbage collection. Cincinnati has chosen to keep fees for service to a minimum. There are additional reasons to vote NO on Issue 4. The property tax is the most stable tax collected, varying little from year to year, so it offers some protection from the wide swings that occur in the income tax. If the tax were eliminated, much of the benefit would go to landlords who live out of the city and large institutional investors who own commercial property. And since Issue 4 repeals only the City’s portion of the property tax (15% of the total over a period of ten years), you will save around $15 each year for every $1000 of taxes you pay. Don’t threaten City services for a very small reduction in your taxes. Vote NO on Issue 4. Vote “YES” by State Rep. Tom Brinkman According to the US Census Bureau, the city of Cincinnati lost over 13,000 people in the last three years and three months. About 12 people everyday leave the city and no one replaces them. At this rate the city of Toledo will be bigger than Cincinnati in four years. The home of the Mud Hens will be bigger than the home of the Reds. City council has done nothing to retain its citizens and as a matter of fact pursues a budgetary and taxing policy that actually drives people out. Issue 4 is a citizen initiative designed to improve home ownership levels, stop the flight of citizens and stabilize neighborhoods. Once Issue 4 is fully implemented, the city's property tax rate will be on par with those surrounding areas, which are attracting our people. The Property tax is only 7% of the city's budget and Issue 4 removes 7/10’s of one percent of the budget each year until the Charter mileage is eliminated. Currently the city has engaged in a disinformation campaign to dissuade voters from support of issue 4. These idle threats should be viewed for what they are: idle. City Council has failed to control their spending for years. They have failed to address the needs of most neighborhoods. It is our responsibility to stand up and do something in a positive direction. Issue 4 is that direction. Certainly there are other factors, which we need to address in order to make Cincinnati more attractive to live and build a business and have a family. But Issue 4 is a good first step. A step we desperately need. Remember those Mud Hens!