ELYRIA — A divided City Council voted to place a tax issue on the ballot that will ask residents to pass a permanent income tax increase and permanent income tax credit reduction in an all-or-nothing campaign.

After three hours of heated conversation touching upon closing the city’s ice rink, possibly laying off city employees and putting a double income tax proposal on the May ballot, Council  passed the measure in a 7-to-4 vote.

In favor of the measure were Forrest Bullocks, D-2nd Ward, Donna Mitchell, D-6th Ward, Ken Burkhard, D-7th Ward, Kevin Brubaker, D-at large, Tom Callahan, D-at large, Mike Lotko, D-at large, and Vic Stewart, D-at large.

Believing now is not the time to ask voters for more money, council members Larry Tanner, D-1st Ward, Garry Gibbs, R-3rd Ward, Mark Craig, I-4th Ward, and Kevin Krischer, I-5th Ward.

“It’s a joke,” Krischer said following the meeting. “We just caused more division in the city than ever.”

However, Grace said he believes a strong campaign aimed to educate voters on where the additional revenue will be spent will get the issue passed.

“As challenging as times are, I’m very optimistic the community will recognize how important it is, not just for the immediate needs of the city, but also the long-term financial health of the city,” he said. “It will be up to city leaders and elected officials to convey that message to residents to get this issue passed.”

Still, Grace told a packed audience, many of them the parents of young hockey players who will have nowhere to play if the city closes the ice rink, that putting the tax proposal on the May ballot will not stop cuts that must be made to balance the 2009 budget amid a projected $3 million shortfall.

And city finances can’t wait until May, Grace said.

However, should the tax proposal pass, officials would move to call back laid-off employees and reinstate cut programs and services.

Without the tax passing, there is no telling when the programs will come back, Grace said.

Many came out to Monday’s meeting to speak out about how the cuts to the city’s Parks and Recreation Department would affect their quality of life.

“Why in the devil would we close our ice skating rink when every Friday you can go there and find 300 kids in there who paid money to be there?” said John Vanco, a resident and former member of the Parks and Recreation Board.

Just knowing there was a possibility that the rink could close was enough to make 10-year-old Cameron Anderson come to Monday’s meeting. Seated with his parents, Cameron said he has been playing at North Rec’s rink since he was 6.

“I’m a little worried that they are going to close it,” he said. When asked what his life would be like without hockey, Cameron only had one word, “boring.”

There are no other ice skating or hockey rinks in Lorain County, which is why the Elyria rink draws from all over the area, said Mike Fritz of Oberlin.

“The Elyria Ice Hockey Club self-organizes, but we need the rink to be there,” he said. “When I heard about this, I could only think about how the quality of my life is going down.”

Parks and Recreation Director Frank Gustoff said he doesn’t know what will happen with the ice rink past next Friday, but he is optimistic that something can be worked out to keep it open for the rest of the season.

In the meantime, Law Director Terry “Pete” Shilling is working on crafting the ballot language for the tax proposal as well as corresponding legislation that will spell out where the additional money will go.

Based on Monday’s discussion, reducing the income tax credit to 75 percent could net the city an additional $1.15 million each year, which will be allocated to the Police Department.

To be seen on the same ballot is a second proposal that will replace the 0.5 percent temporary income tax with a 0.75 percent permanent income tax, bringing Elyria’s total income tax to 2 percent. Increasing the income tax could generate an additional $3 million a year. About $1.3 million would be directed to the Street Department for paving and construction, facilities, equipment and personnel. The Parks and Recreation Department would receive roughly $950,000.

The Fire Department would receive about $650,000 — about $50,000 more than what city officials plan to cut from the department’s budget. However, that number was much lower until Callahan recommended  $500,000 set aside for downtown improvement be lowered to $100,000.

Concerning city employee layoffs, Grace said nothing has been decided, but all cuts will take place the week of Feb. 23. In the meantime, Grace will meet with the Fire Department’s union leaders today to discuss whether they would be receptive to pay concessions to help the budget. In addition, Grace said the employees who work for the elected officials are being asked to consider reducing their hours, which would cut their pay by roughly 10 percent.

Contact Lisa Roberson at 329-7121 or lroberson@chroniclet.com.

 

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