8690-13 Opposing HB 5 - Laserfiche WebLink

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RESOLUTION NO. 8690 -13 BY' Anderson, Bullock, Juris, Madigan, Nowlin, Powers, Smith. A RESOLUTION to take effect immediately provided it receives the affirmative vote of at least five members of Council, or otherwise to take effect and be in force at the earliest period allowed by law, opposing the State of Ohio's attempt to impose a one - size - fits -all tax code on Ohio cities as proposed in Sub. H.B. 5, which would render powerless the City of Lakewood's right to govern its own finances. WHEREAS, Ohio's municipalities worked in good faith with the bill sponsors and the Municipal Tax Reform Coalition to craft a bill that would bring revenue - neutral tax uniformity and ease compliance burdens for businesses in, and potentially locating in, Ohio; and WHEREAS, the House Ways and Means Cormuittee chose to support a bill altered by the Municipal Tax Reform Coalition that accepts previous municipal good -faith compromises and demands still more, to the detriment of municipalities across the state; and WHEREAS, Sub. H.B. 5 is being marketed as a tax uniformity bill for the benefit of all residents and resident businesses, but is in reality a Trojan horse piece of legislation, sneaking carve -out provisions into tax law that benefit special interest groups; and WHEREAS, Sub. H.B. 5 is being marketed as a tax simplification bill, but will increase the current 23 -page municipal tax portion of the Ohio Revised Code to 145 pages of complex tax laws that will make the municipal tax system in Ohio more confusing while stripping municipali- ties like Lakewood of vital revenue that is required to maintain current services; and WHEREAS, the municipal income tax is a vital source of revenue that enables the City of Lakewood to provide essential municipal and safety services, and promote a positive quality of life on which residents and businesses rely; and WHEREAS, any forced reduction in municipal tax revenue will have a negative impact on residents and create an environment detrimental to retaining and attracting businesses in Ohio; and WHEREAS, only municipalities can oversee the prompt and proper auditing of local tax returns to ensure all applicable deductions and declarations are reported, thus also ensuring that all taxpayers pay their fair share without causing higher costs of compliance for all, and must be able to do so without burdensome and costly restrictions included in Sub. H.B. 5— created with the purpose of restricting municipalities from correcting and auditing returns or making assess- ments; and WHEREAS, only municipalities can and will aggressively pursue those noncompliant and delinquent taxpayers who, by their omission or deliberate deceit, drive up the costs of com- pliance to all; and