If you’ve ever cursed while trying to figure out Ohio’s Byzantine municipal income tax system, you now have someone specific to blame: Cleveland Mayor Carl Stokes, circa 1971.

In Monday’s episode of Today in Ohio , host Chris Quinn and reporter Laura Johnston discussed a startling historical nugget that most Ohioans never knew – Cleveland once shared its income tax revenue with surrounding suburbs in a remarkable display of regional cooperation. Then it stopped, triggering a cascade of tax policies that haunt residents to this day.

As Quinn introduced the segment: “once upon a time Cleveland shared the income taxes it collected with the suburbs in a real display of regional thinking. We used to think regionally. Who knew?”

Cleveland’s generous tax-sharing approach ended abruptly fifty

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