For the first time in decades, North Canton could ask its residents for an income tax increase.
City Council Monday discussed placing a 10-year, 0.5 percent income tax increase on the November ballot. The increase — which could raise income taxes from 1.5 percent to 2 percent from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2028 — would be used solely for the city’s police, fire and EMS departments, including the building of a new central safety service center.
The increase would generate about $2 million a year, said Finance Director Laura Brown.
Only North Canton residents who work in the city or a township would see an increase. Someone earning $50,000 per year would pay an additional $250 a year or about $4.80 per week in income tax.
Residents who have no taxable income — including those who are retired, unemployed or full-time students — and those who work in another city with an income tax of 2 percent or higher would see no increase in taxes, she said.