GOP wants to take local money to pay for Ohio's state heroin fight

COLUMBUS - Don't take money from cities' drug-fighting efforts to pay for the state's battle against the opiate epidemic, Democrats say. 

A proposal from Senate Republicans would strip up to $35.3 million over two years from cities with income taxes and instead direct that money toward fighting the state's opiate problem.

City employees are already on the front lines of the opiate crisis, reviving addicts with Naloxone and investigating drug sales, Democrats argue. Taking money cities use to fight heroin and giving it to the state to do the same thing makes no sense, they say. 

"We think it’s the wrong direction," said Kent Scarrett, executive director of the Ohio Municipal League, which represents cities.

Senate Republicans want to take the money from cities that levy an income tax: 614 of the state's 940 municipalities, including Cincinnati. When the state created its income tax, officials agreed to give some money to cities with income taxes to offset the higher rate citizens would pay.

How much money each city would lose was not immediately clear.

Townships, along with villages and cities without income taxes, would not be affected by GOP's proposal. 

"We think a bonus given to cities just for having an income tax is much better spent treating people addicted to opiates,” said John Fortney, a spokesman for Senate Republicans. The money would help pay for a $176.4 million investment in the two-year state budget to prevent more drug deaths. 

The state would use that money to reimburse county coroners for the cost of toxicology screenings from overdose deaths, pay for care for children who witness overdoses, award grants to probation departments and pay for a pilot program for infants born addicted to drugs. 

That sounds great, Democrats say, but don't use money from cities to pay for it. Cuts force cities to place levies on the ballot to make up the difference, they say.

"The Senate Republicans’ proposal to raid local government funds to pay for the state’s anti-heroin efforts will debilitate cities in combating heroin at ground zero of this crisis," Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley said in a statement.

Sen. Joe Schiavoni, a Democratic contender for Ohio governor, had proposed taking $200 million from the $2 billion rainy-day reserves to pay for the needed addiction treatment. But Republicans have been reticent to dip into reserves. 

"They are holding onto this rainy-day fund like nothing is going on," said Mike Premo, chief of staff for Senate Democrats. "It is a fiscal crisis." 

Senate Republicans actually did dip into the rainy-day reserves in their version of the state budget, temporarily using $2.5 million to waive penalties for people late on their taxes. None of the money would be used for efforts to reduce overdose deaths.

The Ohio House's version of the budget didn't dip into cities' money like Senate Republicans proposed.

After the Senate, led by majority Republicans, passes its version of the budget, House and Senate leaders must meet to reconcile their plans. The state's budget must pass into law by July 1.

MORE: Would your school lose or gain money under the Senate GOP plan?