UPDATE: The county Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday morning to increase the sales tax to fund construction of a new Franklin County Jail and morgue within the next two years.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – People who shop in Franklin County could find themselves paying more at the cash register next year, thanks to an expected hike in the county’s sales tax.
Following a final public hearing on the matter Tuesday morning, the Franklin County Commissioners are expected to approve an increase in the county’s share of the sales tax by 0.5 percent to pay for increased operating costs and finance construction of a new jail and morgue.
(The final hearing on the proposal begins at 9:00 a.m. in the Commissioners’ Hearing Room and is open to the public. Testimony may be provided in person during the hearing or 24-hours a day, 7-days a week by e-mailing Commissioners@FranklinCountyOhio.gov. Individuals interested in speaking at the hearing must submit a speaker’s slip in advance of the start of the 9 am meeting. For more information, call 614-525-3322.)
The increase would raise the amount of sales tax collected by the county from 0.75 percent of the total sales tax rate of 7.0 percent to 1.25 percent. Franklin County would be the only county in Ohio charging a total of 7.5 percent sales tax. Cuyahoga County charges 8.0 percent.
A portion of the increase – 0.25 percent – would be rolled back at the end of 2018.
The new sales tax rate would apply to all retail sales beginning January 1.