MANSFIELD — Mansfield residents will see a bump in their income taxes next year.
Voters approved a four-year, one-quarter percent municipal income tax Tuesday to begin replacing the city’s aging water lines.
The issue passed narrowly with 50.96 percent voter support (2,671 yes votes to 2,570 no votes) according to final, unofficial vote totals from the Richland County Board of Elections. Collection will begin in 2025.
The new income tax is projected to generate between $17 and $18 million over its lifespan. Those funds will help the city begin the process of replacing 53 miles of aging, 4-inch water lines in the community.
Proponents of the levy said passing the water initiative was a matter of public safety.
There are 385 fire hydrants in Mansfield that cannot function properly due to old water lines, according to local attorney Eric Miller, who led the charge to put the levy back on the ballot. These defunct hydrants impact 2,400 structures.
“I am grateful for everyone who voted yes in order to provide fire safety to all residents of Mansfield,” Miller said.
The water main issue failed narrowly in November with 52.7 percent (5,865 votes) against to 47.3 percent (5,215) in favor.
Miller credited the levy’s success this time to a group of vocal supporters.
“The big difference this time is that more people helped the campaign by talking to friends and neighbors — more people than I can name,” he said.
Miller thanked three residents — James Boyd, Ryan Morris and Nancy Wooden — for sharing their personal experience in support of the levy.
“These three jumped in this time and made a big difference because their families had experienced the terror of a fire in their home,” he said.
“They gave voters a personal view, and not just a theoretical view, of the tragedies we want to prevent by replacing our water mains.”
Mayor hopes to leverage levy dollars to get matching funds
City engineer Bob Bianchi has said the levy will allow Mansfield to replace about 13 miles of the aging, small mains.
“It would take about four cycles (of the four-year tax) to replace all of our 4-inch mains,” Bianchi said.
Nevertheless, Mayor Jodie Perry said the levy’s passage is a step in the right direction.
“One round is not going to solve the whole thing, but it will get us significantly further down the road,” she said.
“What we really want to do is leverage this money, try to use this to match and bring in federal and state dollars to help us further what we’re doing.”
Perry, the former CEO of the Richland Area Chamber of Commerce, said there are economic benefits to upgrading the city’s water lines as well — particularly for older retail and commercial buildings in downtown Mansfield.
“Water is a huge competitive advantage for the city of Mansfield,” she said.
“Currently, we have a very strong supply of water. Where we were struggling was in the delivery, particularly in the older areas.”
As a community development group committed to growing Mansfield, NECIC sees civic engagement as vital for a healthy community. Rooted in the North End, their efforts benefit North Central Ohio and beyond. They promote informed voter turnout for a thriving society. Explore at www.necic-ohio.org.