LORAIN — Lorain Fire Chief Thomas Brown was told Tues­day by the Lorain County Board of Elections that he would have to go to court to change the language of the proposed ballot issue to restore the full Lorain tax credit.

After consulting with coun­sel from the Secretary of State’s Office and the Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office, the board decided there was no legal mechanism to make a change.

Brown said in a letter to the board that a statement in the proposed ordinance reading, “Whereas, the residents of the City of Lorain have determined that a full credit on the total amount of income taxes paid on taxable income to another municipality or political subdi­vision should be allowed,” is “blatantly false and extremely misleading.”

His concern, shared by board member Anthony Giardini, is that if passed, the ordinance could mean that Lorain may not get any money from people who work in other cities or towns and would also have to credit them if the income tax rate where they work is higher than Lorain’s.

“I’ve got firefighters laid off and on the chopping block,” Brown said. “This language stays in and it passes, it could be a disaster.”

Giardini called the possibility “crazy.”

“If this passes, it could mean that other Lorain residents like myself are subsidizing the income tax rate of another municipality,” he said. “It pains me. And this was not the intention of those who signed the petition (to get the proposed ordinance on the ballot).”

Brown did not say after the meeting if he would be taking the matter to court.

“We should vote on (the tax credit),” Brown said. “But make the language correct.”

◾ In other business, the board deadlocked, 2-2, on the matter of extended office hours for the upcoming voting period for the November election. Voting at the Board of Elections office begins Sept. 28.

With the tie, the board has to send the matter to the Secretary of State’s Office. The secretary can break the tie or decide not to act.

Giardini and Thomas Smith voted to extend the hours, which could cost the board about $20,000.

“We need to encourage voting as best we can,” Smith said.

Helen Hurst and board chairman Robert Rousseau voted no, citing fiscal concerns. Hurst said that with absentee ballots, the long voting period and Election Day, voters had ample opportunity to cast their votes.

Contact Melissa Hebert at 329-7129 or mhebert@chroniclet.com.

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