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Elected officials within the city administration claim they cannot vote on their 2010 Property Tax Budget until Friday, November 13^th, 2009. This is 100% completely FALSE! See the email sent by Hamilton County Auditor Dusty Rhodes to all city officials.

Mayor Mark Mallory, Vice Mayor David Crowley, Council members:

I call on all of you to vote on continuation of the Property Tax Rollback at both the Monday, October 26, 2009 Finance Committee and Wednesday, October 28, 2009 City Council meetings.

Voting to discontinue the Property Tax Rollback policy is one thing.

But to claim that you must wait until Friday, November 13, 2009 – conveniently after the November 3^rd General Election has taken place – is disingenuous and an insult to every Cincinnati voter.

Cincinnati voters have a right to know where the candidates - on whom they will be voting - stand on this issue.

To do otherwise is to engage in politics of the worst kind. Cincinnati voters deserve better. Have the guts to cast your vote.

ISSUE SPECIFICS

Elected officials within the city administration claim they cannot vote on their 2010 Property Tax Budget until Friday, November 13^th, 2009. This is 100% completely FALSE! See the email (directly below) sent by Hamilton County Auditor Dusty Rhodes to all city officials yesterday.

October 21, 2009

Members of Cincinnati City Council:

Recently the Hamilton County Budget Commission allowed an extension (approved by the Tax Commissioner of Ohio) so that the City of Cincinnati could present more realistic revenue projections (specifically earnings tax related) for their 2010 tax budget. The Budget Commission had not wanted to act on the previously presented more speculative numbers.

Once the City had the benefit of seeing the September earnings tax collection and gaining the insights of whatever consultant had been retained new projections were shared, the Budget Commission promptly approved the tax budget. City Council is now in a position to also promptly approve it.

There is no requirement that Cincinnati City Council wait 30 days to act. Rather, Cincinnati City Council must act within 30 days.

Dusty Rhodes, Hamilton County Auditor, Secretary, Hamilton County Budget Commission

Now, please read the article from the October 21, 2009 edition of the Cincinnati Enquirer (directly below this email) which will provide you additional background information.

So what’s the bottom line?

It’s simple. Some members of the city administration are trying to hide behind the November 3^rd, 2009 General Election as “cover” - not casting a public vote themselves until after all Cincinnati voters have already cast their vote for Mayor and Council!

There are four City Council incumbents who have already voiced their support of continuing the Property Tax Rollback. Those Councilmembers are: Jeff Berding, Chris Bortz, Leslie Ghiz and Chris Monzel. To Councilmembers Berding, Bortz, Ghiz and Monzel, we say thank you!!

Because Vice Mayor Crowley and Councilmember Qualls have already voted their opposition to continuing the rollback, we are left to wonder where Councilmembers Laketa Cole, Greg Harris and Cecil Thomas stand on this issue - in addition to Mayor Mark Mallory. (we have listed the contact information for both Vice Mayor David Crowley and Councilmember Roxanne Qualls so you can contact them too.)

Action Needed

Therefore, please contact Councilmembers Cole, Harris, Thomas, Mayor Mark Mallory and City Manager Milton Dohoney to voice your opinion about this attempted “November surprise.”

Ask them to (at the very least) put the Property Tax Rollback on the Monday, October 26^th Finance Committee meeting and the Wednesday, October 28^th City Council meeting.

If they don’t, Cincinnati Property Owners (residential AND commercial alike) will not know their public servants’ stance on this issue until AFTER casting their vote in the November 3^rd General Election.

 Name Office Phone Email address

Laketa Cole 513-352-3466 laketa.cole@cincinnati-oh.gov

Greg Harris 513-352-5303 greg.harris@cincinnati-oh.gov

Cecil Thomas 513-352-3499 cecil.thomas@cincinnati-oh.gov

Vice Mayor David Crowley 513-352-2453 david.crowley@cincinnati-oh.gov

Roxanne Qualls 513-352-3604 roxanne.qualls@cincinnati-oh.gov

Mayor Mark Mallory 513-352-3250 mark.mallory@cincinnati-oh.gov

City Mgr Milton Dohoney 513-352-3243 citymanager@cincinnati-oh.gov

Thanks in advance for your help!