Additionally, the city would eliminate five different property tax levies totaling 8.1 mills if the levy passes: three for police and two for streets. The tax would also fund hiring five new police officers and five public service workers.
This is not the city’s first time placing an income tax request on the ballot. Most recently, in November 2020 the income tax levy failed with about 52% voting against it. In 2013, the request failed when 61% voted against it.
Despite being the city’s third attempt at an income tax in the last decade, Beavercreek Mayor Bob Stone expressed optimism, citing that the margin of opposition had decreased drastically in seven years.
“This is not something that we’ve taken lightly,” Stone said. “We thought the residents deserved a few tweaks that we made, and we’ll give another shot at it.”
If the income tax does not pass, officials said, the city’s multimillion-dollar infrastructure backlog isn’t going away. However, this iteration of the income tax expands on how the money will be used, and offsets property owners’ taxes by 40% more than it would have in 2020, city manager Pete Landrum said.
“This is a little different than last time. Council is making a promise for this income tax try,” Landrum said.
Some residents voiced support for the levy at a public hearing Monday, saying Beavercreek’s reliance on property taxes hurts elderly residents.
“It’s about time to change the way we support our city services because the burden to be on the taxpayers, the property owners entirely, has been very, very difficult as the years go on,” resident Carol Graff said at a Monday council meeting.
City council will formally vote to place the measure on the ballot in January.
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