Ohio communities, counties have nearly $1.2B less in aid for 2017 because of state cuts

Cuts in local government funds and tax changes made at the state level will cost Ohio counties and communities nearly $1.2 billion in 2017, as compared to 2010, a new report shows.  Chief among those cuts were elimination of the state's estate tax, the halving of local government funds and accelerated phase-outs of local business taxes, a report from the liberal leaning think tank Policy Matters Ohio found. But the report drew criticism from Gov. John Kasich's administration, which argues that focusing solely on cuts tells only part of the story. Growth in income and sales tax revenues as Ohio's economy recovers from the recession have helped offset the cuts, a spokeswoman said, citing alternative research.  Policy Matters also looked more closely at 18 counties -- ranging from the 10 largest to some of the smallest -- and 20 cities within those counties to illustrate the impact at a local level.