Canfield officials to use social media, other outlets to raise awareness of Aug. 4 income tax increase vote

CANFIELD

City officials will be using various methods in efforts to raise awareness of the city income tax increase on the Aug. 4 ballot.

City Manager Joe Warino was again vocal about a lack of attendance at a public hearing on a city matter Wednesday night during a town hall meeting.

Less than 10 people attended the meeting on the half-percent income tax increase on the special election ballot. But city officials were encouraged by comments from one city resident.

That resident, Richard Duffett, 56, discussed what the Committee to Support Canfield Schools did to pass Canfield schools’ five year, 5.9-mill operating levy in November 2013.

“I got a lot of info at this meeting,” Duffett told council. “You could post all this [info] on Facebook.”

City officials discussed starting a Facebook page for the election and explaining in posts why the city needs more funding. Another method city officials will look to use in the weeks before the election is in-home visits with residents. Both of those were used by Canfield schools before its levy vote.

The city enacted its 1 percent income tax in 1972 and that brings in $3 million annually. If the half-percent tax increase is approved by city residents, the effective income tax would be 1.5 percent and would bring in $4.5 million.

Warino has said the city has lost money from local government funds, both from the state and county, and the loss of the estate tax. Those three combined brought in $525,191 in 2010 compared with $248,482 in 2014.

After Wednesday’s meeting, Duffett said he would join a committee to support the city “once I’m convinced absolutely this is what we need.”

City officials listed services that would be impacted without additional funds, such as leaf and brush pick-up, the number of police department employees and paving city roads.

Councilman Chuck Tieche said the main question for voters on Aug. 4 is: “Do you want to continue this kind of service in the community?”

“The need is real and it’s a decision we’re asking the public to make,” Warino said.