Akron’s city income tax increase has passed by more than a two-to-one margin.
Mayor Dan Horrigan took to the podium to a broad cheer at Jack’s Irish Pub on Tuesday night. The quarter percent income tax increase is expected to generate $16 million for roads, police and fire and EMS.
Asked what they’ll do first, both interim police chief Kenneth Ball and Fire Chief Clarence Tucker talked about safety. Tucker said the new revenue would toward another set of gear for firefighters, to protect against exposure to poisons and carcinogens.
“We can have one set of gear to wear while one gets washed," Tucker said. "It’s a much safer system for our firefighters to go out and fight fires.”
For Ball, it's new vehicles.
“We had an officer that was taken to the hospital today with carbon monoxide poisoning from the vehicle that he was using," Ball said. "(It) was a very old vehicle.”
Ball says that officer is expected to be OK. Both chiefs joined the mayor in thanking the citizens of Akron for their support.
