Restoring Prosperity
The Greater Ohio Policy Center Blog
The study was led by nationally-recognized Reinvestment Fund, with assistance from Greater Ohio Policy Center, PFM Group Consulting, Neighborhood Connections and Leverage Point Development.
Ohio’s municipalities primarily rely on income tax to fund their operations and services. The tax is collected by the jurisdiction in which the worker works, not where they reside. In the work-from-home (WFH) environment, the questions have become, “where do these workers work?” and “which jurisdiction gets their income tax?”
In many weak-market neighborhoods, public investment is often required to catalyze private development. However, in legacy cities, local governments often do not have the resources to take this first step towards revitalization, which presents an opportunity for states to support local municipalities.
The New Jersey Transit Village Initiative is an excellent example of how states can utilize policy to support local communities in providing residents with an enhanced quality of life and transportation options. It supports legacy city revitalization by incentivizing growth and economic activity in existing urban centers, supporting public transportation, and promoting sustainable land-use practices.
For months now, communities around the state have been gearing-up as the 2020 United States Census gets underway. Conducted every 10 years and required by both the U.S. Constitution and federal law, the Census has long-range implications, for everything from the number of Representatives Ohio will have in the United States Congress, to helping determine how billions of dollars in federal funding flow into states and communities each year.
