Toledo voters will decide on a 0.25% public-safety income-tax increase

Toledo voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to approve a temporary 0.25% increase in the city’s municipal income tax, with the money designated for neighborhood safety and police and fire operations.

Toledo City Council approved Resolution R-300-26 on July 14, 2026, sending the question to the ballot. The measure is not yet a tax increase. It would take effect only if Toledo voters approve it in the November election.

What the proposal would do

The proposed increase would add one-quarter of 1% to Toledo’s current 2.5% municipal income-tax rate. The proposed tax would apply to municipal taxable income for Toledo residents and for people who earn or receive income in Toledo, according to the related council legislation.

If approved, the additional tax would begin Jan. 1, 2027, and expire Dec. 31, 2030. It would therefore be a temporary levy rather than a permanent change to the city’s income-tax rate.

For a worker with $40,000 in applicable taxable earned income, the added rate would amount to about $100 per year, before considering individual tax circumstances. Put another way, each $10,000 of applicable taxable income would represent about $25 in additional annual city income tax.

Where the money is intended to go

The proposed ordinance identifies neighborhood-safety expenditures, police and fire safety-force operations, and criminal gang disruption among the purposes for the money. Local reporting also described related initiatives such as blight cleanup, violence interrupters, police and fire classes, and the Mayor’s Office of Safety and Engagement.

That language is broader than a measure directed solely to police hiring. The legislation describes neighborhood-safety programs alongside police and fire operations, so the exact use of the funds would depend on the city’s implementation and spending decisions if the measure passes.

Local reporting has estimated that the tax could generate about $25 million annually if approved. That figure is a projection, not a guaranteed collection amount. Actual revenue would depend on taxable income and other factors affecting municipal tax receipts.

Resolution and ordinance are separate actions

Residents should distinguish between the council’s approved ballot resolution and Ordinance O-301-26, the separate proposed legislation describing the tax mechanics and spending purposes. The ordinance is not itself an enacted tax. The proposed levy remains subject to voter approval on Nov. 3.

Questions about how broadly the money could be spent, how the city would oversee the funds, and how the public could track the results remain issues for voters to examine as the election approaches. Those questions should be considered separately from the confirmed July 14 council action and the proposed tax rate.

What happens next

The tax question is scheduled for the Nov. 3, 2026, general and special election. Under the Ohio Secretary of State’s current 2026 voting calendar, the deadline to register is Oct. 5, early in-person voting and absentee voting by mail begin Oct. 6, and absentee-ballot applications must be received by Oct. 27 at 8:30 p.m. Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

Toledo residents and workers who earn or receive income in the city should review the proposal based on where their taxable income is connected, not only where they live. Voters should check the Ohio Secretary of State and Lucas County Board of Elections for current instructions before voting.

Sources

• Toledo City Council Resolution R-300-26
• 13 Action News report on the ballot proposal
• City of Toledo income-tax information
• Ohio Secretary of State 2026 voting calendar