CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education voted to rescind an earned income tax levy from the November ballot and replace it with a property tax levy, at a meeting Monday night.
The board voted 6-1 in favor of rescinding the levy, with only board member Kendra Mapp voting not to remove the levy.
Last week, the board voted 5-2 to place the 0.75% earned income tax levy on the November ballot, saying the proposal would provide a more sustainable revenue source as the district grapples with rising costs and declining state support. But just days after it was approved, the district said the board would likely vote on rescinding the levy.
The tax would have applied to residents who live within the district, and district leaders say a failed levy would mean deeper cuts for the third straight year. Board President Brandon Craig said the district has reached a point where budget cuts are no longer sustainable without new funding.
"We are now at a point where that's not really an option, and we saw that this year with some of the positions that were directly facing students. Next year's cuts would be worse if we did not pass a levy," Craig said.
The scrapped income tax levy will be replaced with a 7-mill property tax levy. The board voted 5-1-1 to add the property tax levy to November's ballot, with Mapp voting against it and Vice President Kareem Moncree-Moffett abstaining.
The property tax levy will cost homeowners $245 per $100,00 of property value if approved by voters at the polls.
When asked if the motion to vote on rescinding the tax came as a result of the response from the community, Craig said, "The topic was added to the agenda at the request of a board member, as is allowed under board policy."
"We know that there's a big movement around the idea of ending property tax, but we also know that ending property tax doesn't just affect schools; it affects municipal properties, it affects police and fire," Craig said. "We knew there were concerns with property tax, and we knew that this is a new era with regards to earned income for school districts, and we've seen some school districts have some success, but not many."
Following Monday's meeting, the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers issued a statement saying the vote was the "right decision for our students, educators and the broader community."
"Today's action by the Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education is the right decision for our students, educators, and the broader community.
A property tax levy is a fairer approach than an income tax levy because the responsibility is shared across the community rather than falling directly on the paychecks of working families. Cincinnati Public Schools educators are already sacrificing through furlough days and other concessions to help the district navigate its financial challenges. Asking those same employees to shoulder an additional income tax increase would have required them to pay twice for the district's fiscal problems. A property tax levy avoids placing that disproportionate burden on the very people who keep our schools running every day.
We appreciate the Board for listening to the voices of parents, educators, and community members. Now it's time to move forward together. We look forward to working alongside our community partners to support the successful passage of this levy so Cincinnati Public Schools has the stable funding it needs to serve every student."
