NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio -- North Ridgeville voters rejected a proposal Tuesday to raise the city’s income tax from 1% to 1.75%, despite provisions that would have reduced the tax burden for an estimated 80% of the city’s workforce.

Issue 8 failed as 67.19% of voters rejected the tax increase, with 6,024 votes against and 2,942 votes in favor, according to unofficial results from the Lorain County Board of Elections. Had it passed, Issue 8 would have generated an estimated $6.3 million in annual revenue for city coffers.

Since 2000, North Ridgeville’s population has risen by about 68%, reaching an estimated 37,504 by 2024. City leadership framed the tax increase not as a crisis remedy, but as a forward-looking measure to keep pace with growth and increasing demands on services.

However, F

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