Issue 6 Renewal Aims to Repair Roads and Invest in Dayton Housing

Dayton, Ohio (WDTN) — Dayton voters are being asked to renew their one-quarter income tax this March.

That money funds various city services such as road paving and the police department.

Issue 6, previously known as Issue 9, will be updated on March 19th.

This would inject $10 million annually into the city of Dayton’s general fund to support public safety efforts such as road repairs and open space maintenance.

City engineers say the money is needed because inflation is having a huge impact on street repairs.

“The amount of road paving has gone down, the cost has gone up exponentially, and the price of asphalt and inflation have gone up significantly,” said City Engineer David Escobar. “We’re trying to be creative, but you know, it is what it is. We’re at the mercy of the market.”

Escobar says residents will feel the effects if the levy renewal fails. He said the city’s ability to pay for some unpaved residential streets would be significantly reduced.

If passed, Issue 6 would also allocate $650,000 annually to housing investments.

The city has not disclosed how the donations will be used, but supporters are grateful. One local community organizer said the ideal layout would improve conditions for tenants.

Destiny Brown said the city of Dayton is struggling with mold, needed repairs and quality inspections. And most importantly, she says, funding like this helps communities feel valued.

“I think there is a concern that allocating these funds won’t change anything, because tenant voices are not part of the solution development process,” said community organizer Destiny Brown.

Brown also said the city needs to set standard protocols for testing and shared that Issue 6 funding could help attorneys for tenants in need. It could also help reduce the city’s homeless population.

For a detailed explanation of question 6, click here.

https://www.wdtn.com/news/your-local-election-hq/issue-6-renewal-aims-to-fix-roads-invest-in-dayton-housing/ Issue 6 Renewal Aims to Repair Roads and Invest in Dayton Housing