The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

October 4, 2009

Brookfield chool officials favor tax-assist plan involving slots

By Patrick Cooley

BROOKFIELD — Brookfield Local School District officials say they support a proposal by Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland to delay a proposed income tax decrease in order to cover the loss of revenue from legal action over slot machine gambling at Ohio race tracks.

“As a school board member, I like it; as a taxpayer and property owner, not quite,” said Tim Filipovich, Brookfield school board president. “It’s a double-edged sword.”

Brookfield Superintendent Tim Saxton called the proposal “a positive thing for Ohio schools.”

Two weeks ago, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that a slot machine gambling proposal was subject to voter approval. It had been counted on to raise more than $850 million to close the state’s education budget gap.

In response, Strickland has proposed delaying at 21 percent income tax cut, part of a package of tax reforms in 2005 proposed by then-Gov. Bob Taft. Those cuts were being phased into the state budget over a five year period at a rate of 4.2 percent per year.

In a statement to the Associated Press, Strickland said the court decision would make it impossible for revenue from slot machines to contribute to the current two-year budget.

He said the final 4.2 percent decrease would be phased in as soon as Ohio’s budget issues have been resolved.

“No school district can afford to lose state funding,” Saxton said, “If we do, we would be looking at cuts.”

According to the Ohio Department of Education Web site, Brookfield without slot machine gambling money and other sources of revenue, would lose $582,803 in the 2010 fiscal year and $872,072 in the 2011 fiscal year.

Republicans in the state general assembly have criticized the idea, saying the delay will hurt the economy and put Ohioans in a difficult financial situation in uncertain economic times.

Opponents of the idea say the delay is essentially a tax increase.

The delay is expected to raise $850 million over the next two fiscal years.

“The governor is trying to save education,” Filipovich said. “Because of the fact that our future lies with our students, that’s one of the areas you should cut last.”

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