In March 2020, when COVID-19 roared, the world went home. To keep businesses and governments humming, the Ohio General Assembly inserted into a 350-page coronavirus relief bill that work at home shall be considered work done "at the employee's principal place of work.” That way, businesses could save the headache of changing all of their employees’ tax withholding. And Cleveland could keep taxes of suburbanites. The rationale behind municipal income taxes is that workers avail themselves to city services while working in that city. But during the pandemic, workers didn’t use any services there. A state law eventually required businesses to change their withholdings, and employees could request refunds from their office cities in 2021. That allowed some workers to save thousands of dollars, once they worked through the complicated system of tax rates and home city rebates. But on Monday, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the original law was constitutional and we can’t get refunds for 2020. Good news for the cities that counted on those millions. Bad news for workers. — Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
Cavs vs. Chicago Bulls: Cavs show national audience why they deserve more respect with hard-fought 108-105 win over Chicago Bulls Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Rain returns, chance of snow |
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The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled in favor of cities over collecting taxes from former commuters during the coronavirus pandemic, even though those people switched to working from home due to shutdown orders and office policies. (David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com) |
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Income taxes : The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled it was constitutional for Cleveland and other cities to tax former commuters during the coronavirus pandemic as if they were continuing to drive to work, even as office shutdowns resulted in them working from home instead, Andrew Tobias reports . The ruling was 5-2, with Democratic Justices Jennifer Brunner, Michael Donnelly and Melody Stewart joining Republican Justices Joe Deters and Pat DeWine. Republican Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy and Republican Justice Pat Fischer dissented. DeWine apology : In his most contrite comments since a criminal bribery scandal engulfed Ohio’s legislative and executive branches, Gov. Mike DeWine said Wednesday he erred in appointing a top state regulator who has since been twice criminally accused of bribery. Jake Zuckerman reports DeWine’s remarks came two days after state prosecutors accused former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairman Sam Randazzo of accepting a $4.3 million bribe from FirstEnergy. Today in Ohio : At the epicenter of the criminal bribery allegations is a $4.3 million payment that state and federal prosecutors say was a bribe, but FirstEnergy executives and Sam Randazzo insist is a contractual payment. We’re talking about how FirstEnergy lawyers said the company didn’t have to pay the money, but they did it anyway, on Today in Ohio , cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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Marijuana help: A committee within the State Medical Board of Ohio voted Wednesday morning to seek expert opinions on whether medical marijuana could help patients with autism spectrum disorder and female orgasmic difficulty disorder. Laura Hancock reports that experts from the medical and scholarly fields will provide information that will inform the whole board on whether to add either of the two conditions to the list of 26 conditions, ranging from cancer to Tourette syndrome, for which people can legally purchase cannabis. Stephens’ account: A Franklin County judge on Tuesday denied a request by a group of Ohio House Republicans to prevent House Speaker Jason Stephens and his allies from accessing the GOP caucus’ multi-million-dollar campaign bank account. Jeremy Pelzer reports the decision marks an initial defeat for Stephens’ intra-party nemesis, Republican state Rep. Derek Merrin of suburban Toledo. Mayorkas impeachment : Republicans who control the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday evening voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a week after an earlier vote failed. Sabrina Eaton reports the 214-213 vote made Mayorkas the nation’s first Cabinet secretary to be impeached by the House in more than 100 years. Ad blitz: The Ohio House Republicans’ campaign arm has launched a $743,000 TV ad blitz to help six of House Speaker Jason Stephens’ favored candidates fend off primary challengers, reports Jeremy Pelzer . The ads, which the Ohio House Republican Alliance began airing Friday around the state, are an attempt by Stephens’ political operation to help some of his most vulnerable legislative allies win reelection. |
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Welcome center : Starting next week, Cuyahoga County’s immigrant population will have a designated welcome center to help them access services. Lucas Daprile reports the county formally announced the opening of the Cuyahoga County Welcome Center, located at 4261 Fulton Parkway, an existing county social services building. Property taxes: The six highest property tax rates in Ohio are in Cuyahoga County, topping a Montgomery County area near Dayton that had the state’s highest property tax rate a year ago. Zachary Smith reports properties in the Shaker Square area of Cleveland, which includes Shaker Heights schools, have the highest residential property taxes at $3,989 per $100,000 of property value. Community benefits: Cleveland City Council on Monday approved tax incentives worth $9 million to bring a food manufacturing facility and 220 new jobs to East 55th Street, reports Courtney Astolfi. International Food Solutions will provide potential subsidized child care, minority construction business assistance, food donations to local community organizations and several other benefits not usually seen in city development deals. Redevelopment: City Hall and Cleveland schools are seeking someone to redevelop the former site of the Fullerton Elementary School in the Broadway-Slavic Village neighborhood, Courtney Astolfi reports . Developers have until March 25 to pitch their ideas for the 2.6 acres of vacant land that once housed the elementary, between Fullerton and Gertrude avenues. |
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Frontier flights: Frontier Airlines is expanding its offerings in Cleveland and will offer nonstop flights to 10 new destinations starting in May. Sean McDonnell reports the airline, which is establishing a crew base in Cleveland with more than 100 pilots and other personnel, said during a news conference Wednesday morning that nonstop service would become available to Houston Bush Airport and Austin in Texas; Jacksonville and Pensacola in Florida; Myrtle Beach and Charleston in South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; New Orleans; Salt Lake City; and Baltimore. Hotel hiring: A regional hiring event is designed to boost employment at area hotels in advance of a very busy tourism year in Cleveland. Susan Glaser reports the industry hasn’t fully rebounded from the pandemic downturn in 2020, when hotels worldwide were shuttered and thousands of employees were laid off. Organ transplants: Thanks to innovations in technology that have helped boost the number of viable donor organs, organ transplants reached record levels at the Cleveland Clinic in 2023, reports Gretchen Cuda Kroen. The Cleveland Clinic main campus performed the third highest number of transplants in the nation in 2023. Medical gifts : Emergency medical care at University Hospitals and the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center received separate boosts recently — a renovated emergency room at the VA Medical Center and a $6.5 million estate gift at UH, reports Julie Washington. Rent or buy? Cleveland ranks among the top cities where the market is more favorable for home buyers than renters, reports Megan Sims. According to a rent.com study, the average rent in Cleveland is up 8% to 9% this year. Kias: After a nationwide rash of thefts, Kia and Hyundai are offering anti-theft software installations at no price to drivers and hosting community events to install the devices, reports Molly Walsh. |
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CLE officer : A Cleveland police officer who sued the city over a controversial suspension has left the force to become a high-ranking member of the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department. Olivia Mitchell reports Alfred Johnson this week joined Sheriff Harold Pretel, a former Cleveland police administrator who was sworn in last July. Cocaine: Federal agents found nearly 100 pounds of cocaine hidden inside a home in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood last week, reports Adam Ferrise . The discovery came after a traffic stop in Erie County in which state troopers discovered $200,000 in a car headed for Chicago. Priest plea : A disgraced former Catholic priest who has repeatedly been accused of child sexual abuse pleaded guilty Tuesday to molesting a 15-year-old girl suffering from cancer. Luis Barajas, 76, entered the plea to one count of gross sexual imposition, a fourth-degree felony, reports Cory Shaffer. Shots fired: University Circle and East Cleveland police are searching for suspects who fired shots at an officer early Monday, reports Molly Walsh. A University Circle officer was not injured and the cruiser was not struck. |
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Ask Lucas: What is your stance on eating snow? Lucas Daprile says that as kids, we used to do all kinds of stuff that “isn’t safe.” Valentine's weddings: Cleveland’s City Hall rotunda was used to host more than 30 couples who tied the knot Wednesday, with Cleveland municipal court judges performing the ceremonies. Joshua Gunter has photos. Yelp 100: Express Deli looks like the corner lunch counter a person would draw up from a nostalgia-laden memory, in the corner of a shopping plaza in Brook Park, with neon signs and checkered-patterned advertising for its famous corned beef. Alex Darus and Peter Chakerian report that loyal customers, and now Yelp, know it’s one of the best places for a deli sandwich in Greater Cleveland. 'Funny Girl' : Consider yourself warned: “Funny Girl” makes a few jokes at Cleveland’s expense. The scene in question is an iconic one, taking place at a Cleveland train station as Fanny decides to leave the Ziegfeld Follies to run off with her true love and belts out “Don’t Rain On My Parade.” Joey Morona reports the national tour of the Broadway revival opens a three-week run at Playhouse Square on Feb. 20. Folk-rock club: “La Cave: Cleveland’s Legendary Music Club and the ‘60s Folk-to-Rock Revolution” is an at-once compelling and casual narrative of the club’s life cycle. Peter Chakerian reports the book delves deep into the underground folk-rock club that once inhabited the outskirts of Cleveland Heights. Craig Wedren : Millions have heard singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Craig Wedren’s music, many of whom have no idea who the Shaker Heights native is. Malcolm X Abram writes that the former lead singer of 1990′s Washington, D.C., art-core band Shudder To Think and cancer survivor is currently an in-demand film and television composer, having provided scores for 35 films and 22 television shows. Saint Sadler : Saint Sadler Winery & Restaurant is taking over the former Floods Urban Seafood space in Euclid and opens this week, Paris Wolfe reports. A live band will play from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, followed by a D.J., during the grand opening. Geraldo: Geraldo Rivera has a new gig, reports Joey Morona. The television news journalist has been hired by the 24/7 cable news network NewsNation as a correspondent-at-large. Fish fries: Today we begin running our annual guide to fish fries throughout Northeast Ohio. They range from Painesville to the east to Vermilion to the west. A smorgasbord of seafood is offered: cod, perch, haddock, salmon, shrimp and several others, as are pierogis and many other options and sides. |
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Police say Cleveland 5-year-old is safe after going missing for nearly 2 weeks Read more Vehicle of suspect in Ohio Amber Alert found in Northeast Ohio Read more See Cuyahoga County home sales, other property transfer details for January (searchable database) Read more Where’s the snowplow? Akron unveils online tracker, dashboard Read more For the first time since 1972, Richmond Heights likely to have a new engineer Read more At long last, Richmond Heights hires a new economic development director Read more Head online for Solon Schools Kindergarten Information Night, registration Read more Parma Police Chief Joe Bobak set to retire Read more Seven Hills City Council further tweaks recently approved pay range increases Read more Seven Hills voters to see service department renewal levy on March ballot Read more Brooklyn residents to decide new-money school levy on March 19 ballot Read more |
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