NEWS

Mayor: Newark voters might seek tax hike in the spring

Maria DeVito
Reporter

NEWARK - An income tax increase for Newark was defeated by voters in November, but Newark's mayor said the city might go back on the ballot in the spring because the money is still needed.

"I would say we’re thinking about putting it on, but we still got to work some things out to make that final decision," Mayor Jeff Hall said.

"Obviously the need is still there, nothing’s changed in that way at all."

The city had sought to increase the income tax rate from 1.75 percent to 2 percent. The city estimated that nearly $2 million in additional tax revenue would have been generated by the increase. The money would have been used for police and fire departments and street paving.

Of that $2 million, $1.2 million would have gone to street paving and about $400,000 each would have gone to police and fire department capital improvement needs, such as vehicles, weapons, medical equipment and more.

Of the city's 25 precincts, only four of them passed the levy. The levy did the worst on the south and east parts of the city, but was able to garner a support on the west end. The 1st precinct of the 5th Ward passed the levy with more than 59 percent of voters supporting it.

The measure was defeated with nearly 55 percent of voters opposing it citywide. Hall said the city would only put another levy on the ballot if city officials thought they could get the other 5 percent of votes needed to pass it.

"We know the No. 1 rule of sales, if people don’t understand it, they won’t buy it," he said. "We’re going to have to balance that out a little bit and figure out what the right solution is for that."

Some Newark council members said one solution would be to communicate with voters through a campaign. The city did not have an official campaign for the levy in November nor when it tried to pass a levy for streets in 2014.

Jeremy Blake, D-2nd Ward, said a campaign needs to be done to educate voters on how the money would be spent.

"In this day and age when we place an issue before the voters, we have to actively campaign for it," he said.

In one precinct of Blake's ward, 65 percent of voters opposed the levy.

Blake said if another levy were to make it to the ballot, he would like to see a diverse group of community leaders come together to form a campaign committee.

"We have leaders in this community who can raise money for a campaign," he said. "We just need to come together to do that."

Councilwoman Dee Hall, D-1st Ward, also thought there wasn't enough communication with voters and wasn't surprised that in her ward, 66 percent of voters opposed it.

"I don't think they understand where the money goes, what it's earmarked for," she said.

Newark Fire Chief Pat Connor said his department still desperately needs the money, which would be used to replace aging fire trucks, and that he will lobby the mayor to put another levy on in May.

Connor, as well as Newark Police Chief Barry Connell and City Engineer Brian Morehead went to nearly a dozen meetings of community groups to explain the levy. But if the city were to try again, Connor said he wants a full campaign and that he would participate.

"I'll be the first in leading people," he said.

mdevito@gannett.com

740-328-8513

Twitter: @MariaDeVito13