Toledo City Council to amend tax code with voter-approved income tax measures

​​By Tim Schneider, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce

At its regular meeting at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 17, Toledo City Council is expected to vote on Ordinances 281-20 and 283-20 which would amend the city tax code with renewal of the city’s temporary 0.75 percent income tax, and a new temporary 0.25 percent income tax for roads and bridges, following both measures being approved by Toledo voters at the November 3 general election. Beginning January 1, 2021, the income tax for those living and working in the City of Toledo will be 2.50 percent.

Council is also expected to vote on the following:

• Ordinance 434-20 which would approve the continued operation of the Adams Street Outdoor Refreshment Area. The creation of the district was initially approved by City Council in December 2015. State law requires the legislative authority of a municipality to consider approval of the continued operation of such districts every five years. 
• Ordinance 442-20 which would authorize $100,000 from a recently approved sale of property in the Triad Business Park to assist with payment for evaluating the condition and marketability of the Spitzer and Nicholas buildings in downtown Toledo. The city has been working with the Lucas County Land Bank, ConnecToledo, and the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority to stabilize and return the buildings to productive use. 
• Resolution 449-20 supporting the “Move to Amend” campaign for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution which would establish that corporations do not have a right under the First Amendment as it relates to making political contributions. The campaign was created in response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission which held that such activity was constitutionally protected. 
• Ordinance 451-20 which would provide for adjudication of challenges to motor vehicle violations issued via photo-enforcement devices in the Toledo Municipal Court. The ordinance would bring the city into compliance with state law following the Ohio Supreme Court invalidating its current process which involves using appointed hearing officers to adjudicate such challenges. 
• Ordinance 456-20 which would authorize a $350,000 contract with Griffin & Strong, P.C. for a disparity study to review the city’s process for awarding contracts to minority and women owned businesses. The study would analyze the city’s actual utilization of minority and women owned businesses in relation to the availability of those firms in the marketplace. Griffin & Strong would sub-contract with N-Sync, LLC to perform various functions of the study.

 
The public may watch the Council meeting online by visiting https://toledo.legistar.com and scrolling down to the November 17 city council meeting and clicking on “in progress”.

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​​​Tim Schneider
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​As Manager for Local Government Advocacy, Tim Schneider advocates for local policies and laws that safeguard and foster a pro-business environment in the Toledo Region. Tim has more than 10 years of legislative and public policy experience with the local, state and federal levels of government.