TOLEDO, Ohio — Toledoans were able to speak out for the first first time about the proposed increase in the temporary income tax. Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz answered questions for over an hour in the first public hearing on the issue.
While a portion of the money from the possible income tax increase will be going to other areas, Kapszukiewicz said road repairs will be the largest portion of the resolution he introduced.
"Will occur on unimproved and improved roads. All roads will benefit from this. All roads, not just improved road," Kapszukiewicz said.
Council members said they want to see the logistics.
"You use the term fixed and benefited from, but that doesn't go far enough," Councilman Tyrone Riley said.
The other question that came up regarding roads is how can the city go from improving just about two miles a year to 70 miles a year? That's when the mayor said the city would be hiring local skilled contractors.
A small portion of the money would go to creating the Hope Toledo fund, which would award grants to three-, four- and five-star pre-K programs across the city. This would ultimately end the mayor's original idea of privately funding pre-K.
"This process will not be possible without support from the public. It doesn't mean we didn't try to set out and raise private money, it doesn't mean that wasn't our goal, it was our goal. We tried," Kapszukiewicz said.
When pressed on why this vote needs to happen in the spring as opposed to the elections next fall, the mayor said it gives the city a chance to try and pass the increased income tax, but if it fails they can come back to voters in November with a simple 3/4% renewal.
That 3/4% is something Toledoans have voted on and approved eight times already.
