MINGO JUNCTION — Voters in the village of Mingo Junction will have two additional issues on their ballots for the Nov. 5 general election.

Residents will be able to vote for or against a proposed income tax, benefiting a number of village funding arteries, as well as renewing a tax levy for garbage collection and removal within the municipality. A majority affirmative vote is needed for each respective issue to pass.

Come election day, polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Jefferson County. In-person absentee voting at the Jefferson County Board of Elections office — located at the Jefferson County Towers building on Market Street — begins Oct. 8 and ends Nov. 3.

The first issue, the proposed income tax, would provide for a 1 percent levy on income earned by all residents, as well as non-residents who work in the village. The levy would commence Jan. 1 and continue for five years.

Tax revenue would be allocated to 10 different village funds: General, 34 percent; garbage, 18 percent; street improvement, 17 percent; capital improvement, 15 percent; recreation, 10 percent; senior citizens, 4 percent; fire equipment, 0.5 percent; police equipment, 0.5 percent; drug enforcement, .5 percent; and community development, 0.5 percent.

The tax would come in addition to Mingo Junction’s continual 1 percent income tax, bringing the total earned income taxation in the village to 2 percent.

If an individual lives in Mingo Junction but works elsewhere — or vice versa — and that other municipality has its own income tax, the communities split the 2 percent tax revenue. If an individual lives in Mingo Junction but works in a municipality where there is no income tax, then all of the 2 percent revenue goes to the village.

This proposed tax had to be placed anew for approval since the village failed to renew it in 2021. After the tax expired at the beginning of 2022, the village unknowingly continued to collect money from the levy through the Regional Income Tax Agency until the mistake was discovered last April. Collecting about $1 million per year, the tax produced about $2.5 million for the village before collection was halted.

“It’s unfortunate because it was human error,” said Mayor Judy Ruckman. “The funds were properly used where they were supposed to be. It was just an unfortunate oversight.”

All who had the tax taken from their income will be credited by RITA for the two-and-a-half years the money was wrongly taken, Ruckman said. She noted that, for these types of mistakes, the Ohio Revised Code only requires municipalities to repay taxpayers for one year of taxes, but Mingo Junction will dole out credit for a year and a half, just to be sure.

Saddled with repaying roughly $1.5 million, the village wants to see the income tax put into effect again and properly collected, Ruckman said. If the levy is passed, the village will pay credit out of the first year and half of collection, but if it’s not renewed, that money will have to come out of pocket, which would severely harm the village’s ability to pay for its public services.

Therefore, Ruckman said, it’s imperative that voters pass the new levy to ensure services are not disrupted.

“If it passes, it’s going to be tight, but we’ll be OK,” Ruckman said. “But if doesn’t pass, we’re not going to be OK.”

Promising that a similar renewal oversight “will never happen again as long as I’m in office,” Ruckman said she hopes voters will approve the income tax levy, the revenue from which would help the village pursue its hopes for a major street renovation, park upgrades and service department equipment improvements.

The second issue would renew a tax levy benefiting the collection and disposal of garbage and refuse in the village.

The county auditor estimates this tax will collect $252,000 annually, at a rate not exceeding 6 mills for each $1 of a property’s taxable value, assessed by the county auditor — $193 for each $100,000 of assessed value. The tax will commence this year and continue for five years, with the first payments due in 2025.

Ruckman said this levy is what allows the village to pay for municipal garbage pick-up, covering landfill costs and service department employee wages. It also finances the village’s monthly rubbish pick-ups, which the village provides as a “courtesy” for its residents.

Should voters not approve the garbage levy, Ruckman said, the village would be unable to maintain its normal garbage and rubbish pick-up schedule, given that landfill fees have increased. Failure to approve the levy would make the village turn to a private garbage collection service, which would charge the residents themselves for pick-ups, she added.

Furthermore, Ruckman said, having no levy revenue would negatively affect staffing at the village service department, which in turn would affect other services like landscaping and street repair.

“This is very, very important,” Ruckman said. “I really need the citizens to please vote yes on both levies. … Our community is already in need of things. We can’t afford to not be able to afford the basic essentials.”