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WYSO's coverage of the 2011 Election

Dayton City Commission Candidates Differ on Tax Abatements

On Tuesday voters will decide on who will fill two seats on the Dayton City Commission. Mark Manovich and William Pace are challenging incumbents Matt Joseph and Dean Lovelace.

One big issue in this race is tax abatements. Basically, those are tax breaks offered to encourage large companies to come to Dayton and provide jobs. Take GE for example: to get GE to come to Dayton, the city offered to waive property taxes for fifteen years. The downside is the school district, which relies on property taxes, won’t see that money anytime soon. Candidates for Dayton City commission have a range of opinions on offering tax deals like this in the future.

“Mark Manovich has come out against what he calls targeted tax abatements like this for a single company," Says Jeremy Kelley of the Dayton Daily News. "On the other hand, William Pace is on the record saying we need to do whatever we can do to get more businesses to town, and if that means tax abatements of be it. The incumbents took a more middle of the road approach, saying the system is not great but sometimes you have to play the game to get a company like that to come.”

While opinions are varied on tax breaks for corporations, only one candidate, incumbent Dean Lovelace, is willing to raise takes on Dayton residents. He favors a quarter-percent increase.

For more information on each candidate’s platform, visit their websites:

Matt Joseph:mattjoseph.com

Dean Lovelace: www.re-electdeanlovelace.com

Mark Manovich: www.markfordayton.com

William Pace: williampacefordaytoncitycommission.com