Rising income tax collections and falling unemployment rates suggest local economies are slowly rebounding in Northeast Ohio, at least for some communities.
A review of income tax collections for 2012 and 2011 in 18 Northeast Ohio Patch communities shows only one of the municipalities saw a drop in income tax revenue, Brecksville, while just one community saw income tax returns remain flat: Solon. Data was unavailable for Avon Lake.
The remaining 15 communities saw an increase in the revenue source they depend on most for police staffing, water service, street repair and other basic government services.
An uptick in income tax revenue coincides with steady declines in unemployment rates for the Ohio counties Patch covers: Cuyahoga, Summit, Portage, Lake and Stark.
Ohio's statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate ticked down from 6.9 percent in October to 6.7 percent in December, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Total Income Tax Collections for Ohio Patch Communities
Community 2012 2011 Percent Change Avon $11,644,477 $10,262,606 + 13.5Avon Lake N/A
Brecksville $14,441,228 $14,710,595 - 1.8
Beachwood $27,640,037 $24,056,637 + 14.8
Cleveland Heights $22.4 million
$19.2 million
+ 16.7 Cuyahoga Falls $19.4 million $18.6 million + 4.3
Fairlawn $9,562,876 $9,254,431
+ 3.3
Kent $12,063,299 $10,711,766 + 12.6 Lakewood $19.25 million $18.8 million
+ 2.4
Mentor $36.1 million $33.2 million + 8.7 North Canton $6,185,739 $5,969,366 + 3.6
Shaker Heights $21,099,130 $20,643,570 + 2.2
Solon *$39.5 million
$39.5 million +/- 0.0
Stow $13,564,115 $12,802,708 + 5.9
Strongsville $29,074,716 $27,896,316 + 4.2
Twinsburg $23.1 million $19.9 million + 16.1
Westlake $21,384,693 $20,052,362 + 6.7
Source: all information was provided by the individual municipality's finance dept.
*Solon's 2012 figures are not final and are estimated.
