By Robert Taylor ‘ Andrew Gaug U-Wire
KENT, Ohio – In an effort to raise money for the city of Kent, Ohio, local officials are looking into the possibility of a sin tax on alcohol sales.
The tax would probably be 4 cents, City Manager Dave Ruller said, with the revenue going toward the Kent Department of Public Safety, though what they would fund and how much of it would be implemented has not been set.
While Ohio allows counties to implement sin taxes, if Kent were to apply the extra tax it would be the first tax of its kind in a city.
Barhoppers shouldn’t worry yet; a law prohibiting cities to implement a sin tax would have to be amended for the tax to become a reality, and the state has not voiced any interest yet.
“Our law director wrote our state representative this week to see if they could remodify the law to focus on cities,” Ruller said. “Right now we are fishing to see what we can get.”
