Lorain County voters reject sales tax increase for sheriff's office operations

Lorain County overwhelmingly rejected a sales tax increase backed by county commissioners, the Sheriff's Office and the deputies union that would have raised nearly $14 million for the sheriff's annual budget starting next year. With all precincts reporting, Issue 1 failed with 41,747 votes against to 17,709 votes for, or 70.2 percent to 29.8 percent, according to complete but unofficial results from the Lorain County Board of Elections. The commissioners and Sheriff Jack Hall had asked voters to increase the countywide sales tax by 0.25 percent, from 6.5 percent to 6.75 percent, on eligible purchases. The additional $13.7 million the tax increase would have raised was dedicated specifically to the Sheriff's Office. Proponents of the sales tax increase including Hall and commissioners Jeff Riddell, David Moore and Marty Gallagher — all Republicans — said it would lessen the Sheriff's Office's reliance on the county general fund for its operations. "The voters have spoken," Gallagher said in a text message Tuesday night. "We will continue to work with our safety forces to protect our communities." "I will continue to focus on efficiency, accountability and stewardship — making every taxpayer dollar count, and ensuring that county government lives within its means," Moore said in a text message. Hall and Riddell didn't return messages seeking comment. Lorain County is the ninth-largest county in Ohio by population. Eighty-four of Ohio's 88 counties have a sales tax higher than 6.5 percent. Supporters described the tax as a "user tax." Only people making eligible purchases of goods and services would have paid it. Residents have said they felt overtaxed given this year's drastic increase in property tax bills and an additional $5 permissive tax imposed by the county on new motor vehicle registrations back in May, money that will help pay to repair roads and bridges. The Sheriff's Office budget is $31.2 million this year. It is expected to rise to $35.5 million in 2026 due to negotiated salary increases. The proposed sales tax increase would have gone into effect April 1, 2026. Commissioners have the legal authority to impose the sales tax without putting it on the ballot, but they said they wanted to let voters decide. With the county general fund facing a projected $5 million spending deficit in 2026, Riddell has promised cuts to "popular" county services if the sales tax failed. Most of Lorain County's sales tax receipts, 5.75 percent of 6.5 percent total, go back to the state of Ohio. The remaining 0.75 percent is split between county operations (0.5 percent) and county jail operations (0.25 percent). Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.