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REFERRED TO FINANCE COMMITTEE 11/16/98
<br />
<br />RESOLUTION NO.:
<br />
<br />7552-98 BY: Corrigan, Flannery, George,
<br /> Ruth, Seelie, Skindell, Smith
<br />
<br /> A RESOLUTION to express the City of Lakewood's opposition to passage of House Bill
<br />803 currently pending before the Ohio Legislature, and
<br />
<br /> WHEREAS, the Ohio State Legislature has currently pending before the House of
<br />Representatives, Bill No. 803 (hereafter HB 803), which would amend Chapter 718 of the Ohio
<br />Revised Code regarding municipal income tax laws, and
<br />
<br /> WHEREAS, pursuant to Chapter 718 of the Ohio Revised Code, as well as the
<br />Constitution of the State of Ohio, Article XVII, Sub-Section 3, the City of Lakewood had
<br />enacted on June 19, 1967, legislation for the levying of local tax for the general municipal
<br />operations, as well as for services, safety, health and welfare of its citizens, and provided for in
<br />Chapter 128 of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Lakewood, and
<br />
<br /> WHEREAS, HB 803 represents an encroachment upon municipalities' right to self-
<br />government and "Home Rule", and implies that current municipal policias, procedures and
<br />personnel are inefficient. Passage of HB 803 would now impose on each municipality the
<br />dictates of the special interest groups who inspired HB 803, and
<br />
<br /> WHEREAS, HB 803 would result in increased administrative costs, decreased revenue,
<br />minimized efficiencies, with added bureaucracies at both the city and state level. In addition,
<br />I-lB 803 would change forms, deadlines, withholding tax levels, interest where such matters are
<br />currently covered as public policy under the existing local tax ordinance, and
<br />
<br /> WHEREAS, HB 803 would result in greater alienation of taxpayers with proposed
<br />changes to tax filing deadlines, withholding quarterly/monthly minimums, changes in estimate
<br />payment deadlines and amounts, interest, extension rules and refund policy modifications -
<br />taxpayers may not receive fair and equitable treatment under the law, since the Bill, if taken
<br />literally, makes cumbersome audit procedures for audit of returns, and
<br />
<br /> WHEREAS, HB 803 would serve to complicate local tax for all municipalities in
<br />requiring changes and rewriting of local tax ordinances to comply with new rulings as proposed,
<br />in conjunction with changes at the federal and state level, resulting in great expense of time,
<br />money and administration to comply, and
<br />
<br /> WHEREAS, HB 803 fails to take into consideration the different profiles of cities,
<br />villages and towns and their ability to meet local needs. In addition, FIB 803 would dictate
<br />changes to current laws which were passed by duly elected local officials to provide for the
<br />needs of their residents, businesses and industries, and
<br />
<br /> WHEREAS, HB 803 would require the establishing of a State level board, as well as a
<br />board and added supervision a the local level, adding both cost, redundancy and bureaucracy,
<br />now therefore,
<br />
<br />BE IT RESOLVED THE CITY OF LAKEWOOD, STATE OF OHIO:
<br />
<br /> Section I. The City of Lakewood, by and through it's Council, and for the reasons set
<br />forth above, strongly opposes the passage of House Bill 803 currently pending before the Ohio
<br />Legislature.
<br />
<br /> Section 2. The Clerk of Council is hereby directed to forward copies of this Resolution
<br />to our current House Representatives and Senators, as xvell as alt others who may impact or
<br />jeopardize our current municipal tax through passage of liB 803.
<br />
<br />
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