Board of Realtors Urges Action Against City Property Tax Hike

Can you help prevent City of Cincinnati property owners from getting slammed with a 2010 tax increase??

Elected officials within the city administration claim they cannot vote on their 2010 Property Tax Budget until Friday, November 13th, 2009. This is 100% completely FALSE! See the email (directly below) sent by Hamilton County Auditor Dusty Rhodes to all city officials yesterday.

October 21, 2009

Members of Cincinnati City Council:

Recently the Hamilton County Budget Commission allowed an extension (approved by the Tax Commissioner of Ohio) so that the City of Cincinnati could present more realistic revenue projections (specifically earnings tax related) for their 2010 tax budget. The Budget Commission had not wanted to act on the previously presented more speculative numbers.

Once the City had the benefit of seeing the September earnings tax collection and gaining the insights of whatever consultant had been retained new projections were shared, the Budget Commission promptly approved the tax budget. City Council is now in a position to also promptly approve it.

There is no requirement that Cincinnati City Council wait 30 days to act. Rather, Cincinnati City Council must act within 30 days.

Dusty Rhodes
Hamilton County Auditor
Secretary, Hamilton County Budget Commission

Now, please read the article from the October 21, 2009 edition of the Cincinnati Enquirer which will provide you additional background information.

So what’s the bottom line?
It’s simple. Some members of the city administration are trying to hide behind the November 3rd, 2009 General Election as “cover” - not casting a public vote themselves until after all Cincinnati voters have already cast their vote for Mayor and Council!

There are four City Council incumbents who have already voiced their support of continuing the Property Tax Rollback. Those Councilmembers are: Jeff Berding, Chris Bortz, Leslie Ghiz and Chris Monzel. To Councilmembers Berding, Bortz, Ghiz and Monzel, we say thank you!!

Because Vice Mayor Crowley and Councilmember Qualls have already voted their opposition to continuing the rollback, we are left to wonder where Councilmembers Laketa Cole, Greg Harris and Cecil Thomas stand on this issue - in addition to Mayor Mark Mallory. (we have listed the contact information for both Vice Mayor David Crowley and Councilmember Roxanne Qualls so you can contact them too.)

Action Needed
Therefore, please contact Councilmembers Cole, Harris, Thomas, Mayor Mark Mallory and City Manager Milton Dohoney to voice your opinion about this attempted “November surprise.”

Ask them to (at the very least) put the Property Tax Rollback on the Monday, October 26th Finance Committee meeting and the Wednesday, October 28th City Council meeting.

If they don’t, Cincinnati Property Owners (residential AND commercial alike) will not know their public servants’ stance on this issue until AFTER casting their vote in the November 3rd General Election.

Name	Office Phone	Email address
Councilmember Laketa Cole	513-352-3466	laketa.cole@cincinnati-oh.gov
Councilmember Greg Harris	513-352-5303	greg.harris@cincinnati-oh.gov
Councilmember Cecil Thomas	513-352-3499	cecil.thomas@cincinnati-oh.gov
Vice Mayor David Crowley	513-352-2453	david.crowley@cincinnati-oh.gov
Councilmember Roxanne Qualls	513-352-3604	roxanne.qualls@cincinnati-oh.gov
Mayor Mark Mallory	513-352-3250	mark.mallory@cincinnati-oh.gov
City Manager Milton Dohoney	513-352-3243	citymanager@cincinnati-oh.gov

If you have any questions, you may contact me at my contact information below.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Take Care,
Mark J. Quarry
Director of Government Affairs

Cincinnati Area Board of REALTORS®
14 Knollcrest Drive / P.O. Box 37889
Cincinnati, OH 45222

Direct: 513-842-3014
Fax: 513-842-3024
Mobile: 513-675-5368
Email: MQuarry@cabr.org