I am going to start with an article in the Daily Blat where in some of the mugwumps were commenting on the .5% increase in the State Sales Tax from 6% to 6.5%. This is expected raise $90 Million next year alone to help close the maybe $500 Million shortfall in 2017- 2018 Fiscal Year. Okay, a start, but is a long ways from a sure cure? What is scary, is the "alleged" sunset clause where the .5% is to go away after three years?
One could suspect that unless the Coal/ Gas/ Oil businesses pick up bigtime, the severance tax may well not raise to the level needed to offset that .5%? I am going to speculate not in two years, but maybe in three a big enough raise to begin the offset. That is pending on the State finally (am I optimistic or what?), getting the never ending spiral of additional spending each year under control? Otherwise, learn to live with it AND Ohioans are going to begin to stay home to shop locally. For many, .5% ain't squat; for even more with little or no increases in their incomes, that .5% will begin to add up.
Now where this thing became interesting, is as usual our Mr. Rapp, who can it seems so easily talk out of both sides of his mouth? Allow me from his quote in the Daily Blat:
" He understands (Mr. Rapp), that the State has a significant problem to address, but there has got to be a stopping point somewhere"? Okay, seems empathetic for the folks? One needs to watch Mr. Rapp very closely to separate the fact from the fiction. An issue like this supposed "empathy" for the folks is a facade to curry favor, while the back room sneaking around to track down non payers of the Sales Tax are usually as now not in the public domain?
Here is where over the past two years he has gone off the rails complaining in the Municipal Home Rule Pilot Program 2015 Progress Report. He complains that on page 7 of 8, in the Lessons Learned block, it is stated "Not a lesson but at this point a concern is developing some method to make sure the City is receiving the Revenue it should".
There was also an issue on determining the Sales Tax Disbursement for July/ August 2015 at only $448,513.91 where the B&O tax was for a three month period. (Seems the City could not do a "guestimate" by dividing the three months into the gross was for B&0 to achieve a close idea on what the monthly numbers for July/ August may have been?) Did the Mayor want cheese with his whine?
The above referenced report was dated on November 12, 2015 and he actually signed it. It is very unusual it seems that he signs State/ Federal documents that some of us have reviewed? More the practice of putting someone else's name and/ or no date/ signature as with the 2015 Brownsfield Grant cover letter to the EPA.
In the 2016 Municipal Home Rule Pilot Program Progress Report, he again noted in the Lessons Learned Block the same complaint worded more strongly, " The City of Vienna would like for the State to furnish to the cities some documentation on who is paying the tax and who is not so we might work together to identify taxpayers who are not complying". And again on 9 November 2016, he actually signed it. Still asking, cheese with his whine?
One should not be surprised to see where Mr. Rapp has appointed himself the "Chief of Disbursements to the Municipalities from the State". His ego just expands and expands as he attempts to take over the MOV in many projects. One need understand that the "Taxpayers" in this scenario are by and large the Businesses that should be collecting the Tax and sending it in to State. I would not be surprised if there are individuals/ companies who are not paying to a business? Remember: Favoritism, Cronyism and Nepotism. But also as with other tax issues for the State/ Federal levels, it is not an impossibility that the accrued 1% Sales Taxes are being kept in some instances by the businesses due to their own Fiscal issues?
So one can see where for the purposes of Public Relations that he is so aptly provided by the local media, he seems to be concerned for the folks? On the other hand he is wanting more reports/ information to chase down business scofflaws who are collecting or not and failing to pay the State? Never enough money for him; in the first full year, it was noted that the City received $3,385,636.26. The City saw a reduction in B&O $294,802.95 for a net of $3,090,833.31. It had been projected to only be $2,822,370. This was actually in increase of about $268,463. And it is suspected most of the Sales Tax was really by the Residents of Vienna on a per capita (?) basis of number of trips by them versus someone just tooling into town?
May I ask but how many businesses in Vienna or even P'burg/ Williamstown/ Wood County are being scrutinized for their payments? 'nuff said'.