Thursday’s Ontario City Council meeting drew a crowd of interested residents to hear the reading of a new tax credit ordinance. This ordinance would increase the credit towards the Ontario income tax for income paid to another municipality up to a maximum of one-and-a-half percent beginning in January.
During public commentary, several residents spoke up about the tax credit. Ontario resident Mark Arnold, who has addressed council before with his concerns, was the first to speak.
“I heard about the proposed legislation and came to the Oct. 17 meeting to ask for an update from Finance Chairman Hairston,” said Arnold. “I was informed that the legislation was not going to come out of committee because it did not have enough support.”
Arnold said it was a disservice to the residents of Ontario not to have the legislation brought before council for a vote.
Resident Dave Walton reported that the mayor told residents at the Meet the Candidates Night there would be no change for those working outside the city.
“I remember turning to my wife and saying that it doesn’t affect us. Then all of a sudden I’m paying one percent to Bellville, where I work, and one percent to Ontario. I could have lived with a point five increase,” said Walton. “I think there’s just some confusion among the citizens of Ontario and I’d like to see it get straightened out.”
Another Ontario resident, Dave Rehfeldt, offered a somewhat emotional response when he addressed council and asked council to revisit the numbers involved with calculating the tax. “The numbers are not jiving. Don’t short-change us; just try to come up with answers,” said Rehfeldt.
Rehfeldt received applause from the audience when he said that no one likes being taxed.
Council voted to forego the first reading of the tax credit ordinance and 4th Ward Council Member Jim Hairston called for a finance committee meeting to review the ordinance before the next council meeting on Dec. 5.
“I remember turning to my wife and saying that it doesn’t affect us. Then all of a sudden I’m paying one percent to Bellville, where I work, and one percent to Ontario,” said Dave Walton.
