Missed deadline forces Martins Ferry to restart income tax proposal
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MARTINS FERRY -- Martins Ferry City Council will have to start over if it still intends to ask voters to approve an increase in the city’s income tax to 2% after officials ran out of time to complete the required steps to place the measure on the November ballot.
The ordinance was introduced during council’s July meeting, but Wednesday’s meeting would have marked only its second reading. Because the proposal required three readings before it could be adopted -- and Wednesday was the deadline to certify issues with the county board of elections -- council could not approve the measure in time for the November election.
The ordinance was written to take effect in January 2027 if approved by voters, making it unusable for a future election cycle. Rather than defeating the measure, council voted Wednesday to table the ordinance and have City Law Director Paul Stecker prepare a new version with updated dates.
“You have an ordinance in front of you for second reading for the income tax,” Council President Phil Wallace told council. “The filing date was today. So I’m asking the council what you want to do with this ordinance.”
Councilman Gus Harris, who originally introduced the push for the income tax increase, said he wants the city to continue pursuing the measure, citing Martins Ferry’s financial challenges and need for additional revenue.
“I say we keep this thing going,” Harris said. “I say we change the dates and have this thing ready for next year.”
When Wallace pointed out the ordinance was written to take effect in January 2027 and could not make this year’s ballot, Harris responded, “Then do it next year.”
Stecker explained that a new ordinance would be required rather than simply changing dates on the existing measure.
“So you will have to change the ordinance because it’s written as if we were going to get on this year’s ballot,” Stecker said. “The dates are all wrong.”
After Harris suggested the city could simply update the dates, Stecker said the current ordinance had reached the end of its process.
“The ordinance that is on the floor can die. It is no longer valid,” Stecker said. “Whether you table it or whatnot, I will bring a new ordinance, if the council so wishes, with the dates for next year and the next election cycle. I have to update all the dates and it will be the same format.”
Council voted to table the existing ordinance. First Ward Councilman Bob Hunker then made a motion directing Stecker to draft a new ordinance substantially similar to the original proposal but with updated dates. Council unanimously approved the motion.
The new ordinance could be introduced at a future council meeting, restarting the three-reading process before the issue could eventually go before voters.
Mayor John Davies and City Service Director Andy Sutak have repeatedly warned that Martins Ferry needs additional revenue to address mounting infrastructure needs. They have urged council to find ways to generate funding, saying the city’s list of needed repairs continues to grow while revenue has remained stagnant.
The proposed increase from 1% to 2% has been presented as a potential funding source for long-deferred projects, including deteriorating streets, aging utilities and city-owned buildings in need of major repairs or replacement.