LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

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Since 2004

Tag: Walter D. Golladay

  • Walter Golladay: Combined property tax levy/earned income base tax should be considered

    Walter Golladay: Combined property tax levy/earned income base tax should be considered

    by Walter D. Golladay

    In January 2020, Social Security, federal and military retirees received a miserly 1.6 percent cost-of-living pension increase. In 11 years, our COLA reflects a cumulative increase of only 15.2%.

    Rather than living with the financially harsh and punitive School Property Tax Levies Ohio residents have been subjected to for decades, retirees should be advised that in the State of Ohio there are two secondary income funding sources available to Ohio School Districts and voters.

    I refer you to the Ohio Department of Taxation “Guide to Ohio’s School District Income Tax”. https://www.tax.ohio.gov/school_district_income.aspx

    For retirees in the state of Ohio, there are two types of School District Income Taxes, one BAD, one GOOD.

    The BAD Tax is a School District “traditional base tax”. The same tax retirees pay today to the state of Ohio. The BAD tax includes pension and retirement income. Today, approximately 144 Ohio School systems have implemented this voter approved tax. ORC 5748.021 allows a school district with a traditional base tax to go to the ballot to replace that tax with an earned income base tax.

    The GOOD Tax is School District “earned income base tax”. On page 4 of the above mentioned Guide, it states that Earned Income Tax excludes such items as interest, dividends, capital gains and pensions. The City of Loveland utilizes this form of taxation on our retired pensions.

    Today, approximately fifty-nine Ohio school systems have implemented this voter-approved tax. Earned Income taxes range from a low of one-quarter percent to a high of two percent.

    Loveland voters should be aware that a school board can adopt only one School District Income base tax, not both. So earned income base tax is the solution for we retirees. ORC 5748.02 (E) prohibits a district from having school district income tax levies with both bases.

    After the unsupported March 2020 Property Tax Levy is defeated, I would suggest the

    Loveland City School District seriously consider, in their next proposed tax levy, a properly vetted and much lower combined school tax levy consisting of a property tax … AND … a earned income tax.

    For the benefit of our many retired Loveland residents, the primary goal is to soften the financial impact on them every time our school district needs to acquire more funds to operate their many programs.

    A secondary goal is to ensure the school district discusses in detail with our concerned and extremely knowledgeable residents and voters prior to the next tax levy being placed on the ballot.  If a favorable response from the community is received then a combined lower property tax levy AND earned income base tax should be proposed.

    Common sense indicates that Loveland School District would do well to garner residential voter endorsement, rather than opposition.

    Walter D. Golladay is a resident of Loveland, Ohio


  • How to entice a Loveland property tax payer, by cooking a lobster

    How to entice a Loveland property tax payer, by cooking a lobster

    by Walter D. Golladay

    Walter Golladay is a resident of Loveland

    Thursday evening, the 12th, our Loveland School Superintendent and Treasurer hosted a “…community meeting about Loveland Schools’ November 5 ballot issue. The meeting will include a presentation and the opportunity for the audience to ask questions.”

    During the meeting, a resident asked the following question: “How much more in property taxes will I have to pay if the 2019 tax levy is passed?” Our school treasurer responded with a lengthy meandering non-answer.

    The short answer is, visit your respective county auditor at:

    Hamilton County: https://wedge.hcauditor.org/

    Clermont County: https://www.clermontauditor.org/_DNN/

    Warren County: https://www.wcauditor.org/

    On each county website, search for your specific property. The quickest way is to search by the property owner. Enter your name, and accurate property information will appear.

    On your respective homeowner’s page, your 2018 property taxes will show what you paid. On your respective individual 2019 upcoming tax levy page, it will show what you will pay if the school district property tax levy is passed. One-half of the upcoming taxes will be due January 2020!

    Earlier this week, the “Loveland School Board authorizes a phase-in bond portion of levy over three years if Nov. 5 issue passes.” In so doing, Loveland property owners would benefit from a 3 year phase-in of the bond portion of the levy resulting in lower property tax levies of $20 per month for each $100,000 in the tax year 2019, and $35 per month in the tax year 2020, and the full levy charge of $49 per month would take effect in the tax year 2021.

    If the newly proposed school district tax levy 2-year diet is accepted by the Hamilton County Auditor, then for tax year 2019, a first-year diet of $20 per month translates into an additional $240 per annum; for the tax year 2020, the second year diet of $35 per month translates into $420 per annum; and in the tax year 2021 your diet terminates with $49 per month for $588 per annum, continuing indefinitely.

    As of yesterday, “Friday the 13th”, all 3 county websites report property taxes due and payable in the tax year 2019, of the full – no-diet – $588 per annum.

    The school district 2-year diet reminds me of the old parable: throw a lobster in boiling hot water to cook, it will jump out; throw a lobster in cold water, then add heat, it will happily swim around until its cooked. Which lobster are you?

     

  • Golladay says three blind mice Settell, Gross, and Zamagias must fully explain their absence immediately

    Golladay says three blind mice Settell, Gross, and Zamagias must fully explain their absence immediately

     

    These three blind mice chose to offend we Loveland residents by disappearing for the week

     

    by Walter D. Golladay

    On 26 September, Loveland City Council was scheduled to meet on the 4th Tuesday of the month. Because a quorum of four council members did not happen, the meeting did not officially take place.

    For unknown reasons, these three blind mice of Vice Mayor Angie Settell, and Council members Pam Gross and Stephen Zamagias were absent without just cause from their appointed duty station. That being, City Hall, Loveland, Ohio, 7 pm.

    These three blind mice chose to conduct personal business elsewhere, not for the benefit of Loveland residents, but for another business, another individual, or themselves.

    This Loveland resident has the firm belief that the 3 blind mice chose not to appear in order to prevent a council quorum being established with the City Council members present of Kathy Bailey, Robert Weisgerber and Ted Phelps. Kathy, Robert and Ted would have been the majority council members for the evening.

    The three blind mice, need to be held accountable. In explicit detail, they must explain to the Loveland residents where they were that evening, and why they could not attend a long established council meeting date.

    The three blind mice must explain to the Loveland residents where they were that evening.

    They must also explain why none of them were available to attend alternates council meeting dates of Monday through Thursday, 25 – 28 September.

    These three blind mice chose to offend we Loveland residents by disappearing for the week and preventing scheduled City of Loveland business from being conducted.

    Should any or all of the three blind mice not be able to offer a valid reason for their absence, then we Loveland residents need to seriously consider not voting for them in the upcoming 2017 General Election.

    These 3 blind mice must fully explain their absence at the 26 September Council meeting. 

    Immediately.

    Walter D. Golladay is a resident of Loveland, Ohio

    Three blind mice. Three blind mice.

    See how they run. See how they run. 

     

    Three Blind Mice.ogg
    Author: CambridgeBayWeather
    Date: