In June, South Euclid's city council suspended its income tax credit for residents who also pay income taxes to another municipality, thinking the roughly two million dollars they might reap from the change would sharply reduce a projected $2.4 million dollar budget gap.
But the idea infuriated taxpayers, and sparked multiple petition drives to head off ending the credit. Last week, the city council repealed the rollback; but one group of voters isn't letting the matter drop.
Rick King heads up "Citizens for Accountable Government", which wants more to be done to curb city spending, not raise revenue. King says South Euclid's a ballooning staff and large administrative salary increases during Mayor Georgine Welo's six years in office have pushed spending up by $3 million a year.
KING: "What we see is an explosive growth in government, and that's what needs to stop. We'd like those new positions that she created - eliminated; and we'd also like to see those exorbitant pay increases --- cut."
King's group collected roughly 800 signatures - enough to put its measure on the ballot - but they have yet to be verified by the county board of elections. King suspects the city may try to fight the initiative in court.
