CITY COUNCIL Officials hoping voters OK income tax increase

NEWTON FALLS -- City officials are hoping residents will turn out today to support a proposed 0.5-percent income tax increase that would cover deficits totaling nearly $140,000 this year and bring in about $285,000 next year.
"The tax issue is an important one; we really want everyone to go out and vote," said Mayor Thomas Moorehead at Monday's city council meeting.
If approved, residents working in the city will pay the full 1.5 percent, with out-of-town workers paying 0.5 percent.
The city has not had a permanent tax increase since the 1960s.
Part of the money is to be used for road improvements and to rehire part-time police officers who were furloughed last year after a reduction in hours in 2004, according to City Manager David Watson.
Former Newton Falls Mayor Patrick Layshock spoke out against the proposed increase last month. Layshock said he didn't agree with the city's asking for money to negotiate new contracts with city union workers, nearly $18,000.
Cable-TV contract
The city is also planning to budget $50,000 to negotiate a new cable television contract. Layshock said the city should fund the negotiations with the franchise fees collected from Time Warner. Layshock said the city collected nearly $400,000 in fees last year but failed to set aside funds for future negotiations.
He said the numbers released by the city in April "don't show the community needs the increase."
Levy Committee Chairman Lyle Waddell said residents have to pay for the services they're getting in town.
"It's pretty fair to everyone," said Waddell, who has gone door-to-door the past few months to gain support for the tax. "You have to pay for what you use."