PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE: PROTECT ELYRIA’S FUTURE

ELYRIANS, PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE.  The City of Elyria’s Issue 5, a renewal and not a tax increase, is vital to the city’s ability to move forward.  Issue 5 represents over 20 percent of the city’s General Fund budget and supports basic city services including police and fire protection, road maintenance, leaf pick-up and snow removal, building code enforcement, and parks and recreational programming.  Without its passage, the City will be forced to cut 20 percent of its workforce – an equivalent of about 125 positions.  Given that the City has already cut $1.7 million in the past year, additional cuts of this magnitude will have catastrophic results.         

Your new city administration is working hard to make the best possible use of precious tax dollars by reducing costs.  City employees have accepted a salary freeze.  Many contracts have been re-bid.  The city take-home car fleet has been drastically reduced – including the elimination of the Mayor’s car.  Longevity for senior staff has been eliminated.  Increased employee contributions to health care, participation in a new energy cooperative, intensive purchasing oversight, and downsizing by not filling 11.5 positions in the past 12 months - among other reductions -  have helped stretch our tax dollars.  

Now we need citizens to step up and protect Elyria’s future.  Again, Issue 5 is NOT A TAX INCREASE and retirement, social security, unemployment and disability income are NOT taxed.  We have been paying this tax for over 30 years and need it to keep Elyria moving in the right direction.  Please, vote on November 5.