Ravenna voters will be asked to approve an income tax in May that will support new facilities for the city government and safety forces.
Council voted unanimously Jan. 5 to place a 0.25% income tax on the ballot.
City officials have considered upgrading safety facilities for years, and in 2022 purchased the former Ravenna High School property at East Main Street and Clinton Avenue as the site for a safety center and city hall.
Ravenna voters approved a 0.25% income tax for roads in 2015 and an identical hike for safety forces the following year. Those decisions brought Ravenna’s income tax rate to 2.5%, which is the highest in Portage County, but not the state, according to the Regional Income Tax Agency also known as RITA.
The increase under consideration would bring Ravenna’s municipal tax rate to 2.75%, which would be the same as Youngstown, but lower than the 3% paid in Bedford and Parma, according to RITA’s tax rate chart. The chart only shows communities that pay income tax through RITA.
Councilwoman Christina West said residents expressed a variety of opinions at a Dec. 22 public hearing.
“This is going to be tough,” she acknowledged. “This is going to be really hard. But we need to provide the safety forces with safe facilities so they can provide good service for us.”
Councilwoman Amy Michael said many people are bringing up money spent to buy Sunbeau Valley Farm at the end of 2025, funds she said came from a different pool of money. That purchase, she said, will lead to economic development opportunities.
“There needs to be a balance of economic development and quality of life, as well,” Michael said. “We deserve nice things … Ultimately, it’s up to the voters to decide.”
Councilwoman Carmen Laudato said council members need to be immediately ready to answer questions about the project. She said the city needs to be careful not to paint those who ask questions as being opposed to the safety forces.
“There’s been a lot of discussion about doing things the right way,” she said. “Ultimately, this puts this in the court of the voters.”
Council also agreed to indefinitely table an ordinance to hire a consulting firm to promote the levy, but also voted unanimously to authorize the city’s law director to craft a contract for that firm to survey the community about the levy.
Streetsboro will open its new city hall in January, and plans a grand opening Jan. 17. Kent’s municipal building opened in Summer 2025.
Though neither city sought funds from voters for their city hall buildings, both sought funds for facilities for their safety forces. Kent voters approved an income tax to build a police station, which opened in 2017.
Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at dsmith@recordpub.com.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Ravenna voters to face income tax to fund new city buildings
Reporting by Diane Smith, Ravenna Record-Courier / Record-Courier
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