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Union council adopts emergency measure to place 1% income-tax increase for police and fire on May ballot
Summary
On Jan. 12 the City of Union council adopted an emergency ordinance to place a permanent 1% income-tax increase (0.5% for police, 0.5% for fire) on the May ballot; the measure passed 6–1 and is intended to replace current general-fund transfers and fund staffing, equipment and a planned fire engine.
Union’s city council on Jan. 12 voted 6–1 to adopt an emergency ordinance that will put a permanent 1% city income-tax increase on the May ballot, split as 0.5 percentage point for the police department and 0.5 percentage point for the fire department.
City Manager John Applegate told the council the ordinance responds to continuing shortfalls that have required transfers from the general fund. "Based on 2025 income tax revenues, it would generate roughly $1.3 million for the Police Department and $1.3 million for the Fire Department," Applegate said. He said current transfers from the general fund to the Police Department total about $900,000 and to the Fire Department about $400,000.
The council debated the timing and structure of the proposal. Council member Black opposed declaring the ordinance an emergency; six other members voted to declare the emergency and to adopt the ordinance as an emergency measure so the item could be certified to the Montgomery County and Miami County boards of elections by the deadline. Mayor Michael O'Callaghan and Council members Bruns, Brookover, Bennett, Rarick and Thomas-Roth voted yes; Council member Black voted no.
Officials said the revenue would be used to hire additional police officers, cover rising personnel costs and equipment needs, and to help pay cash for a fire engine on order that staff estimate will cost about $1.2 million and arrive in early 2028. Fire Chief Zach Marvin described staffing as a continuing challenge: the department currently has three full-time lieutenants and about 22 active part-time personnel, but not all part-timers work regular shifts.
Applegate described the council’s decision as responding to feedback from voters who opposed an earlier measure when some of the proposed revenue was to be returned to the general fund. "Some people who voted no said they would have supported the proposal if all the money went to Police and Fire," Applegate said; the current ordinance dedicates the proposed increase to those departments.
The ordinance will be certified to the county boards of elections to appear on the May ballot. If voters approve the measure, the tax would create a dedicated revenue stream for police and fire operations; if it fails, council may revisit the question later in the year.
Next step: certification to the Montgomery County and Miami County boards of elections to meet the February filing deadline.
