Stow Council Votes to Put Tax Increase on Ballot

Stow City Council voted Thursday night to put a proposed 0.25 percent income tax increase on the November ballot to pay for law enforcement and school security.

The much-debated tax increase issue, a recommendation from Stow Mayor Sara Drew’s Safety Task Force, received its third readings Thursday and passed by votes of 5-2. Councilmen Mike Rasor and Brian Lowdermilk cast the only votes against the two pieces of legislation on the issue.

“We are not voting whether we agree with an income tax or not,” Councilman Jim Costello said. “What we’re voting for is to let … the public decide, whether … the public want to fund additional police officers.”

City officials estimate the measure, if approved by voters, would generate between $1.6 million and $1.7 million annually based on the city's existing collections.

If approved by voters, the tax increase would raise Stow's income tax collection rate from 2 percent to 2.25 percent. The increase would not raise taxes on Stow residents who work outside the city in communities with the same 2.25 percent tax rate.

Stow residents who work in a community with a tax rate of 2.25 percent that shares reciprocity with Stow would be unaffected.

A draft budget created by the city administration projects expenses for 2014, including wages, benefits and ancillary costs, for 11 new police officers and one new part-time clerk will total about $1.15 million.

Both Lowdermilk and Rasor have said they’re opposed not to adding officers but instead to the method as proposed by the mayor’s task force.

Both men tried during committee meetings held Monday and Thursday to pass modified legislation that ultimately failed. Both councilmen proposed, via charter amendments, similar themes of setting a yearly budget for the police department, in addition to money raised by the tax increase, with minimum staffing levels.

And both measures failed to gain support on council.

“I’m not sure the charter is the place to go,” Councilwoman Mary Bednar said.

Less than a dozen residents attended Thursday’s meeting for the vote, and only three spoke to council about the income tax proposal.

Rob Kline told council he supported the issue, in part, because per capita Stow has fewer police than many surrounding communities, including Kent, Hudson, Cuyahoga Falls and Tallmadge.

“Stow is clearly behind the times,” he said.

Hudson Drive resident Donald Daughterty criticized the issue for not having any direct support from the village of Munroe Falls, whose citizens attend Stow-Munroe Falls City Schools, or the school district.

Kevin Clark said he opposed the issue because it has seemed to evolve to become more of a police issue than one of school security.

“I think this started off as a good idea,” he said. “Then it kind of changed.”

The next step in the process is for the city to file with the Summit County Board of Elections to place the issue on the ballot. The filing deadline for the November ballot is Aug. 7.

Stow Police Chief Louis Dirker said the tax increase, if passed, could pay to hire more than the 11 anticipated officers.

The police department has 38 total officers, including the chief.

“A lot depends on what the income tax brings in,” Dirker said. “That’s the initial guesstimate (11). It could be more. It could be less.”