BLANCHESTER — Village officials may be taking a controversial ordinance to the ballot for the people to decide.
At Thursday’s Blanchester Village Council meeting, the council members performed the first reading on placing a 1% income tax levy on the March election ballot. The second and third readings are scheduled for Tuesday at 8 p.m. and Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Blanchester Mayor John Carman advised they decided to take this approach since some locals felt the prior ordinance was an “illegal ordinance,” there wasn’t a sufficient amount of votes, and that their voices weren’t being heard.
“People just didn’t like the fact that we enacted it. I say we put it on the ballot and give it a shot and do the right thing,” said Carman.
A citizens’ referendum to repeal this ordinance failed at last Tuesday’s general election with 650 (55.27%) voting against and 526 (44.73%) voting for it, according to unofficial results from the Clinton County Board of Elections.
The validity of the ordinance was questioned by locals in part due to only three council members of the six-member council approving it (one voted against it, while the other two weren’t present at the May 25 meeting).
Carman addressed this in a statement the day before the election, saying they would do more research into the matter, including contacting the Board of Elections and the Clinton County Prosecutor’s Office with questions
The levy, previously approved by the council in May, would be used to provide “additional necessary funding for the Village of Blanchester Police Department” and would levy “an annual municipal income tax on income, qualifying wages, commissions and other compensations, and on net profits as hereinafter provided.”
Council member and finance committee chair Don Gephart recommended, along with putting it on the March ballot, that there be a six-year limit on it and a trigger be added to it.
“If it doesn’t pass we’ll have to cut funding to the police department to 40% (in 2025 by the end of the first financial quarter),” said Gephart, describing the trigger. .
To make it on the March ballot, Blanchester officials need to submit the issue to the Board of Elections by Dec. 20.
Reach John Hamilton at 937-382-2574
