Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval says city officials won't ask voters for an income tax increase in November.
In January, Pureval took the oath of office for a second term and announced plans to propose an income tax increase sometime in 2026 — either on the May primary ballot, or during the general election in November.
Now, he says, there are other priorities.
"Taxes are already squeezing our residents in our community — the war in Iran, the tariffs that continue to yo-yo — have all created an economic situation that is really putting a lot of pressure on our community and particularly our vulnerable residents," Pureval told WVXU.
"If our larger community is going to have a conversation about revenues and taxes, I really think at this point the most immediate, acute need is with children's services, and we should all be focused on supporting that," he added.
Hamilton County commissioners are scheduled to vote Monday on a levy option to fund Children's Services. A committee that reviews all county levies has determined Job and Family Services (JFS) needs the levy to generate $144 million annually to continue to provide base-level, mandated services. The board is not expected to approve a levy measure that would generate that amount.
Cincinnati Public Schools will also likely have a tax levy on the November ballot. The school board voted earlier this week to ask voters for a 0.75% earned income tax, instead of a more traditional property tax levy. Both the Republican and Democratic parties have expressed opposition to the levy; lack of a Democratic endorsement, in particular, could kill the proposal's chance of success.
Pureval says a 0.75% increase would be significant and he wants the school board to reconsider.
"Nothing's final, but the neighborhood that we have been talking about for the last few years, trying to collaborate and drive consensus, is in the neighborhood of 0.2%," he said.
The Cincinnati Public School Board is expected to discuss reversing course at its meeting on Monday.
The deadline to approve a levy proposal for the November ballot is 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 5.
Read more:
