The three-member Lake County Board of Commissioners unanimously decided on Thursday to repeal the 0.5 percent sales tax hike they had just approved for the entire county two weeks earlier.
Following concerns from county citizens and even city governments, the all-Republican board made the decision to abandon the tax increase before it even took effect. After numerous public meetings, officials arrived at the conclusion that “the current and projected revenues in of Lake County will be insufficient by a substantial amount to fund the current budgets and statutory responsibilities.”
Much of the discussion at the public hearing focused on the necessity to adequately support the county prosecutor’s office and public safety organizations, with detractors arguing that this could still be done without raising taxes. Following the change of heart on Thursday morning, the board issued a statement in which it declared that it “remains unified in providing professional and high-level services to our residents and businesses; most important of which is our criminal justice and public safety system.”
One of the two commissioners on the board who first voted in favor of the hike, Richard J. Regovich, said that he feels the commissioners owed it to the residents to give more serious consideration to this matter.
“I have spent the past two weeks listening to the residents of Lake County, many of whom support the measure and others who are unsure. I feel strongly that we owe it to all residents to give this important matter serious deliberation. Please understand my commitment is still to support public safety. It is my commitment to the voters. I am eager to start working immediately with my fellow commissioners and staff,” Regovich said.
After the initial 2-1 vote, the rate hike was criticized. The Mentor City Council specifically passed a resolution requesting that the commissioners reverse the increase, arguing that doing so would harm Mentor’s reputation as a major retail center and raise Lake County’s overall sales tax rate, which is 7.75 percent, above all but two counties in the state of Ohio.
A role was also played by larger economic factors.
“Let’s be clear that this is exactly the wrong time. Families throughout Lake County are suffering from the highest inflation we’ve seen in decades. Do we really want to place an additional half-percent on goods and services that they are already struggling to afford,” Council President Matthew E. Donovan said at the time.
The sole board member who opposed the tax increase from the beginning, Commissioner John Plecnik, echoed the same thoughts. He added that while he recognizes that keeping the current rate at 7.7 percent is “difficult,” he believes it to be “the right decision for Lake County.”
“You can call me Commissioner No, because I am proud to have voted no on the biggest tax increase in Lake County history. Seniors are literally being taxed out of their homes. Families are struggling to put food on the table,” Plecnik said.
The county will now need to discover alternative methods to balance its books. Leaders have not yet provided any information about how that might take place.
“I would ask that the public pay close attention to the upcoming budget hearings in February,” Board of Commissioners President John R. Hamercheck said.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “John Plecnik” by Lake County Board of Commissioners. Photo “John R. Hamercheck” by Lake County Board of Commissioners. Photo “Richard J. Regovich” by Lake County Board of Commissioners. Background Photo “Lake County Courthouse” by Nyttend.
