Toledo City Council Special Meeting December 5, 2011

Notes from Sherry of the special Toledo City Council Meeting to consider placing the 3/4% payroll income tax renewal on the March primary ballot. Note there was discussion, primarily from District 2 Councilman D. Michael Collins and at-large Councilman Joe McNamara, about making this temporary (since 1982!) tax permanent. Also, there is reference to the two proposals that were before council. For details on the two proposals, you can see my previous post.

In attendance: Councilwomen Brown, Webb, Hicks-Hudson, Councilmen Collins, Copeland, Steel, Ludeman, McNamara, Martinez, Waniewski, Craig, Sarantou. Mayor Bell, Deputy Mayor Herwat, and Cruthers.

Administration Committee – consisting of four men, one of whom is Deputy Mayor Herwat.

Mayor Bell – Move forward on this – get it on the ballot – 3 or 4 ways to do this – March ballot first.

Committee – We need this 3/4% tax – will be about 51.1 Million dollars – how it looks right now, your packets have projects and budget cuts in them. The huge red lines in personnel, if the 3/4% does not go through – loss of 200 Policemen and 150 Firemen.
- Waniewski – What are our obligations in the CIP? The public understands providing for Police and Fire – 1/6 of this to be allocated to road paving.
- Administration – We have put some money aside for roads.
- Waniewski – CIP for roads?
- Herwat – 25.5 Mil for CIP projects – 17 Mil from CIP to GF. This Council will make the move.
- Waniewski – See what the thought is.
- Sarantou – What about minimum standard levels?
- Herwat – take cuts from elsewhere. Collins – City cannot operate on 1-1/2% (permanent payroll tax currently on the books).
- Administration – Would be disabling.
- Collins – could not do with out this – what does it cost? (To campaign for the 3/4% tax.)
- Herwat – Campaign – $50–100K – this would come from donated money.
- Collins – no tax payer money at all. We have had this temporary tax since 1982 – lets get the “T” out. Big Cities in this State have between 2–2.75% tax (gives the actual numbers for each City) – ask the Voter for 2-1/4% - lets not use tax mail – ask the Voters about changing this from temporary to permanent - do this by polling - we should ask the Voters.
- McNamara – agrees with Collins – no time to get this done (going to the Voters – polling) – now is not the time.
- Administration – 3/4% temporary.
- Ludeman – This is the 5th time we've gone through this, with different Administrations – no signs before – final date to get this through is Wednesday – keep temporary.
- Clerk reads Option A
- Waniewski – Amend “B” to 1/6 towards street paving before we vote on “A”.
- Clerk – This would be a NO vote on “A”, amend “B”.
- McNamara – Amend “A” - all the 2017's changed to 2016 – flexibility with 3/4% in the past.
- Steel – in 2013 $11 Mil gap from the State – $8 Mil in 2014 – main people served – avoid lay offs – if the numbers hold true.
- Webb – Meet Option “A” for the streets?
- Herwat – allows Council that authority ($17 Mil).
- Sarantou – supports Option “A” - do more street paving, have some flexibility – get with the public – Are we good stewards?
– There was something in the paper about tax collecting – pittance.
- McNamara – added words to make the amendment more clear.
- Craig – caution, waved – $8.5 Mil CIP – when things get better, more paving in the future – allocate additional dollars.
- Ludeman – 1/6 instead of 1/3. (option B would be 1/6 to CIP, option A is 1/3 to CIP)
- Clerk – vote on Option “A” first.

A – Amend TMC Ch. 1905 for ¾% Income Tax, 2013-2016, 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 with financial need – passed – all voting yes. (Ord. 559-11)

C – Resolution – Submitting to the electors on Primary ballot March 6, 2012 the ¾% Income Tax, Option A – passed – all voting yes. (Ord. 560-11)