MANSFIELD — Mansfield Mayor Tim Theaker said Tuesday night neither represented a tax increase, but the successful renewals of two quarter-percent income taxes on the primary ballot Tuesday were crucial to the city.
Both of the four-year tax renewals received overwhelming support in terms of voter percentage, if not raw vote totals, on a primary election day that saw just 3.7 percent of eligible voters in the city cast ballots.
There were 28,828 eligible voters on Tuesday in the City of Mansfield and 1,066 cast ballots.
The Parks, Recreation, Illumination, Demolitions and Emergency Services (PRIDE) tax, which generates about $3.7 million annually, was approved by 72 percent of voters, according to final, unofficial vote totals from the Richland County Board of Elections.
According to the elections board, the renewal passed, 768-293.
The “Pothole Haters Tax,” which generates a similar amount of money specifically for street resurfacing and repairs, fared slightly better, receiving 76 percent of votes cast, 810-252.
Residents have overwhelmingly supported the issues in recent years. In 2017, the last time the issues were on the ballot, each received about 79 percent of the vote.
