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Last updated on Tuesday, July 24, 2007
(INDIANAPOLIS) - If you live in Marion County, your income taxes are going up in October.
The city/county council last night approved a measure to raise the county option income tax, or COIT, by .65, totaling the tax to 1.65 percent.
The 15-13 vote was marred from the beginning by vocal protesters, who shouted "no new taxes" and struggled with police who were at the meeting as they were escorted out.
The meeting got even more heated when a debate erupted between Republican Councilman Ike Randolph and Council President Monroe Gray. Randolph wanted to abstain from voting because of his position as a firefighter. Gray said Randolph could not abstain and he did anyway.
Later, city attorney Kobe Wright told the media Randolph had voted on several previous budgets, that did include tax increases to cover public safety salaries. Randolph then got into an argument with fellow councilman and firefighter Vernon Brown. Randolph stormed into the hallway at one point.
The 15-13 vote included two Republicans voting in favor, Scott Keller and Lance Langsford, and two Democrats, Dane Mahern and Sherron Franklin, voting against.
Franklin says now was not the right time for the tax increase with the property tax debacle still going and city and state officials still searching for answers.
The new tax takes effect October 1st. The tax is expected to raise $90 million dollars to go toward police and fire pensions, public safety expansions, and putting more police on the streets.
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