Cuyahoga County Council extends sales tax by 40 years
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Cuyahoga County Council voted 6-5 Thursday to extend a 0.25% sales tax for 40 years to pay for a new county jail complex.
Why it matters: A tax increase that was initially passed without public input to fund the Medical Mart in 2007 has now been preserved for the foreseeable future without a public vote, something County Executive Chris Ronayne said he would not support when he ran for office last year.
- Plus: The legislation does not specify that the revenue must be spent on the jail, even though that is the intention, at least for now.
What happened: In commentary Thursday, dissenting council members criticized the lack of guardrails in the legislation and said making a decision of this magnitude without the consent of the voters was imprudent.
- "We'll look back on this as a huge, historic mistake," said councilwoman Sunny Simon.
The other side: The six councilors who supported the extension said putting the issue before voters could delay the jail project by a year or more.
- Councilman Dale Miller said it would be unwise to specify the use of tax revenue in the legislation because if additional funds are generated, the county could use them for other capital and operating expenses.
Catch up quick: This fall, council approved the purchase of 38 acres of land in Garfield Heights for the new jail. The project's estimated cost is now $750 million.
Flashback: The County Council initially passed the 0.25% sales tax in 2007 to pay for the Medical Mart and Convention Center complex. It was set to expire in 2027.
- On the campaign trail in 2021 and 2022, Ronayne said voters should get to decide on a sales tax for a new jail.
The latest: When asked by Signal Cleveland about his position, Ronayne didn't answer directly, but alluded to increased costs caused by project delays.
- "It's been a six-year journey," he told Signal Cleveland. "It is time to move forward."
Details: Voting in favor of the tax extension were: Miller, Patrick Kelly, Marty Sweeney, Scott Tuma, Meredith Turner and council president Pernel Jones Jr.
- Voting against were Simon, Michael Gallagher, Jack Schron, Yvonne Conwell, and Cheryl Stephens.