The Newark City Council voted unanimously to place a proposed one-half of 1% income tax dedicated to police and fire protection on the February ballot.

Council adopted Ordinance 25-48, declaring an emergency to meet the ballot deadline, after an amendment to clarify the rate language. Councilmember Berger moved to amend the ordinance wording to say the measure is "an income tax of a half percent" to make the question clearer for voters; the amendment was seconded and approved. The council then approved the ordinance and the companion ballot submission (Resolution 25-83) on roll calls recorded as 10-0.

Proponents said the emergency clause was necessary to meet the February filing deadline. Council members emphasized that any revenue collected would be tracked and dedicated to safety services as written. One councilmember said the change will "save the money somewhere between $25,000 to $40,000" by removing outdated charter notification requirements tied to related items discussed earlier, and another urged that the council and auditor create a formula to proportionately apportion administrative support costs so voters understand how funds would be used.

Opponents did not force a recorded split; no 'no' votes were recorded during roll call. During debate, members repeatedly stressed the council’s intent to make the levy funds transparent: "I don't want any of our taxpayers to think that this is anything other than a safety tax levy in which it will go towards our safety forces," a council member said in support. Another member noted that the levy applies only to earned income and not to pension income.

What happens next: Because both the ordinance and the ballot submission carried emergency clauses, the measures will be placed on the February ballot if filings and municipal procedures are completed on schedule. If passed by voters, the levy would add one-half of 1% to applicable earned income and corporate net-profit filings designated for police and fire in the city's general fund.

Votes and procedure: The amendment to 25-48 passed on a roll-call vote; the amended ordinance then passed 10-0. Resolution 25-83, the ballot-submission measure, also passed 10-0 after the same clarifying amendment.