CPS Levy Reversal Could Reshape the November Ballot
Cincinnati Public Schools’ board could reverse its own income tax levy just one week after approving it.
Board members will vote Monday on rescinding the earned income tax levy they approved July 27.
Less than a week after approving a first-of-its-kind earned income tax, Cincinnati Public Schools’ board is preparing to vote on a CPS levy reversal. Board President Brandon Craig told the Cincinnati Enquirer the board would likely rescind the tax at its Aug. 3 meeting. It could then vote on a property tax option instead. This follows an earlier Exchange story on the original levy vote.
First, the board approved the earned income tax 5-2 in a special meeting on July 27. In fact, it marked the first time in district history that CPS had proposed an income tax instead of a property tax levy. The plan targeted $74 million a year for five years. A resident earning $54,500, the district’s average, would have paid about $408 annually. The tax excluded retirement income, Social Security and investment income. Only district residents would have paid it, though, not commuters who work in Cincinnati.
Opposition came quickly and from unusual corners. The Hamilton County Republican Party condemned the proposal. Then the Hamilton County Democratic Party’s executive committee urged the board not to place it on the ballot, a notable move because every current board member is a Democrat, even though the seats are officially nonpartisan. The Cincinnati Federation of Teachers also opposed the earned income tax, arguing it would disproportionately affect working families and students with jobs…