Two of Portage County’s cities have income tax measures on the November ballot, with Ravenna asking voters to approve an income tax hike from 2.5% to 2.75% and Kent seeking to make permanent a 25-year, .25% increase voters approved in 2013.
Ravenna city leaders are hoping voters approve Issue 15, a 0.25% municipal income tax increase intended to plan, build, furnish and equip a new fire station, police station and city hall complex.
The buildings would be erected at the former Ravenna High School site at Clinton and Main streets. The new city hall would be in the center, with the fire and police station on either side.
That, at least, was the original plan.
On Oct. 5, City Council authorized a $25,000 expense for the architectural firm Horne and King to conduct a facilities assessment and provide options that include:
- Building a new fire station, police station and city hall, likely at the Clinton Street site.
- Building only a new fire station and city hall, likely leaving the police station where it is.
- Building only a new fire station, likely leaving the current city hall and police station where they are.
- If a new fire station and city hall are built, renovating the current police station so that it expands onto the land the current fire station now occupies.
- Whether or not any new buildings are erected, renovating the fire station so that it expands into West Maple Lane, an alley between the current fire station and city hall.
- Renovating the former Tops grocery store to house a new fire station and city hall and expanding and renovating the current police station. (The city does not now own the property.)
- Renovating the former Tops grocery store to house a new fire station, city hall and police station.
Horne and King will also evaluate the costs, pros and cons of each option.
Council approved the expense over the objections of Ward 4 Council Member Tim Calfee, who said hiring Horne and King a month before the election gives residents the impression that city leaders expect Issue 15 to fail.
Without Horne and King’s input, though, Council Member Carmen Laudato said city leaders are relying on a building assessment the architectural firm completed in 2016 and on a $20-$25 million cost estimate produced in 2024.
Inflationary pressures being what they are, Council President Rob Kairis acknowledged that the city will have to find “a few hundred thousand dollars a year” even if Issue 15 passes. At current interest rates, the city would incur a $1.7 million annual debt on a proposed bond issue, but the proposed income tax hike would only generate about $1.3 million a year.
“If it doesn’t pass, you can take my word for it, we’re not going to do a damn thing. They don’t have money to rebuild or renovate significantly,” he said.
City leaders had considered dedicating the approximately $360,000 Ravenna gets annually as its share of cannabis tax revenue from Ravenna’s marijuana dispensary, but so far has decided not to. There are a few reasons: Kairis said it is difficult to budget unsteady and uncertain revenue streams, state lawmakers could pull the money altogether and the income is insufficient to make any significant difference.
The current police/fire station complex, comprising much of the block bordered by West Maple Lane, South Meridian Street, West Spruce Avenue and Park Way, was built in 1922 and remodeled in 1979. It originally housed Ravenna’s police, fire and all city offices, including City Hall.
Ravenna City Hall, located on Park Way, was built in 1938 to house an A&P supermarket. City Hall moved into the building in 1972.
City officials said in early 2025 that both buildings had outlived their shelf life, racking up such frequent and expensive repairs that new construction is necessary.
To pay for it, the city asked voters in May 2026 to approve a 30-year, 0.25% income tax increase and to use proceeds from it — estimated as $1.2 to $1.3 million annually — to service a 30-year bond issue. The tax increase would “fall off” when the bond was retired, Kairis said at the time.
City voters, though, rejected the measure, prompting council to return the proposed income tax increase to the November ballot.
Kent tax would go to streets and police
Kent voters will face Issue 16, which would extend forever a .25% income tax increase voters expected to end in 2038.
In November 2013, city voters approved a 0.25% income tax increase that would raise their annual obligation from 2% to 2.25%, specifically for the purpose of building and equipping a new police station, purchasing necessary property for it and servicing related debts the city would incur.
The tax increase was meant to be effective from Jan. 1, 2014, through December 31, 2038.
Now, council wants voters to extend the tax increase “to provide funds, starting on January 1, 2027, for the purpose of municipal operations of the city, including service department staffing needs and quality of life projects and programs as determined by Council.” Proceeds would also go toward debt service charges on related securities, forever.
Proceeds would be used “to increase staging in police, fire, street maintenance and to possibly support parks and recreation,” City Manager Dave Ruller told The Portager.
Justifying its current proposal to extend the tax increase and widen its uses, city leaders published an explainer on the city website. Kent residents want improved streets and enhanced public safety and life safety services, the document says.
Kent’s higher than expected job growth and income tax receipts allows the debt for the police station to be paid off at the end of this year, a decade earlier than expected, the explainer states.
“Paying off the debt for the police safety center early creates an opportunity to repurpose the .25 building income tax to be used to fund 3 new firefighters, 3 police officers, and create a new year-round street repair crew; while potentially providing seed money for new quality of life projects and programs—all for the same tax amount that residents are currently paying in income taxes,” it states.
Kent voters rejected income tax hike before
In November 2012, voters rejected a proposal to permanently increase their 2% annual income tax to 2.25%, with proceeds funding the construction, equip and maintenance of a new police station. If proceeds exceeded $1 million more than what was needed for those purposes, the money would have been put to street and sidewalk construction, maintenance and repair.
There was no mention of a sunset clause in the resolution Kent City Council approved.
The measure failed by a 10% margin, with 5,490 voters rejecting the proposal while 4,486 approved it.
A Q&A the city published at the time stated that the state had ordered the city to bring the outdated building into compliance with then-current standards for public jails or be shut down.
The almost 90-year-old building has been “patched, painted and plugged so many times that the architects say the only logical fix is to knock it down and build a new one,” the Q&A stated.
Former City Council Member Roger Sidoti recalled being informed that the building would have to be vacated at some point, which left city leaders with limited options.
“There’s a time for renovations, and that building was not worth renovating,” he said. “It did not serve the needs of the police or the community.”
For the November 2013 election, city leaders tweaked the ballot language to include the sunset clause and stipulations that proceeds could only be used to build and equip a new police station, purchase necessary property for it and make annual payments of $1.3 million for a bond the city would issue to build it.
Voters approved the increase in November 2013 by a 13.78% margin, with 1,869 voters agreeing to the increase and 1,416 in opposition.
This time, should Kent voters reject Issue 16, Ruler said the city will do what it has with failed measures in the past.
“We regroup with City Council to evaluate the appropriate legal and fiscal next steps,” he said.