Local officials fighting for tax money from marijuana dispensaries
AUSTINTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — Local officials are continuing to fight for their funds from marijuana dispensaries in their communities.
Austintown Trustees Bruce Shepas and Robert Santos will be speaking on behalf of Austintown and Mahoning County as a whole in Columbus on Wednesday.
Ohio voters legalized recreational marijuana in 2023. According to the ballot language, communities with a dispensary would benefit monetarily.
'A 10% tax that's divvied up to various departments,' Santos said. 'One in particular is 36% to the hosted community. So us is actually going to get a dispensary. So 36% of that tax was supposed to come to us which can range anywhere from $200,000 a year to $700, depending on how well that dispensary does.'
Things changed when House Bill 96 passed reducing the amount communities with dispensaries would get and also adding the stipulation that they would get that for only five years.
'This is just another form of money that we can receive that's not property tax that will help offset these costs for a certain period of time, and the better it does, the more funds that come down the pipeline,' Santos said. 'We're hoping that the Senate changes their mind, gives that money back to the host community.'
Santos will be going as President of the Mahoning County Township Association, while Shepas will be going to represent Austintown. This will be Santos' second trip to Columbus on the matter.
'There's not many local elected officials to go down, and I think it's very important for these Senators and State representatives to hear from us, who are down boots on the ground, who are in need, who are struggling, and they need to start understanding that these are the things that we need to be partnered together,' Santos said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Loblaw pulls Folgers coffee from shelves over 'unjustified' cost increases
Shoppers at Loblaw Cos. Ltd.'s stores will soon no longer be able to get a coffee fix by purchasing Folgers-brand products after a pricing dispute prompted the grocer to pull them from its shelves. In an email sent to retailers on Wednesday, Loblaw said it decided to delist all Folgers products after talks with the coffee maker's manufacturer couldn't solve the impasse. "After several weeks of negotiations, we were unable to reach an agreement with the manufacturers of Folgers coffee regarding their significant and unjustified proposed price increases," said the email signed by Loblaw category director Suren Theivakadacham and obtained by The Canadian Press. "We are doing this because we are on the side of customers, and doing what we can to keep prices low ... This decision to delist Folgers coffee reflects our commitment to providing value for customers by not accepting unreasonable cost increases that would hurt Canadians." The email contained an attached list of alternative coffee products the grocer offers as stores prepare to update their shelves. The move comes as coffee prices continue to rise in Canada. Last month, Statistics Canada reported the price of coffee and tea was up 13.4 per cent in April on a year-over-year basis — outpacing both the 3.8 per cent increase in the cost of groceries that month, as well as Canada's overall inflation rate of 1.7 per cent. Experts say higher coffee prices are in part due to recent extreme weather and changes in temperature, which have caused some producers to experience lower yields. Other pressures include a weak Canadian dollar, making it more expensive to import coffee to Canada from other countries, along with the fact coffee is one of the products still subject to Canada's retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. While the U.S. isn't a major producer of coffee, Canadian distributors often purchase it from American brokers. Folgers products are made by the Orrville, Ohio-based J.M. Smucker Co., which raised prices of its coffee offerings both last June and October in response to higher costs it is facing. President and CEO Mark Smucker told analysts on the company's quarterly earnings call in February that more coffee price increases were likely on the way. He said pricing decisions are dictated by costs it faces. "Although we haven't laid out when other pricing is going to happen, we do expect it's going to happen in the next fiscal year, probably in the first half," Smucker said at the time. In a statement, the company said it has been experiencing "record high and sustained" prices of unroasted coffee beans. "Our pricing actions have been managed prudently and responsibly and have only been taken when justified by costs," said Smucker's spokesman Frank Cirillo in an email on Thursday. "We remain dedicated to working with all our retail partners to manage increased input costs while delivering value to our shared consumers." But Loblaw spokeswoman Catherine Thomas said Folgers' proposed cost increases were "unreasonable and unjustified based on underlying costs" and that the grocer felt it was important to push back as many Canadians continue to struggle with unaffordability. "Despite several attempts to address this with the manufacturer, we were not successful," Thomas said in a statement. "We will not accept or pass unjustified cost increases on to customers and therefore we have removed Folgers from our shelves ... We recognize this may create some inconvenience for customers and for that we apologize but again, we will do what is right to help address price increases." Thomas added Loblaw expects most of its stores to be out of stock of Folgers products over the next week or two. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025. Companies in this story: (TSX:L) Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why Curaleaf Stock Blasted Almost 5% Higher Today
A state previously very resistant to marijuana law reform is having something of a rethink. North Carolina's governor is re-evaluating the state's approach to weed. 10 stocks we like better than Curaleaf › With the mighty struggles the cannabis industry is currently experiencing, any positive news item concerning the sector is encouraging for investors. That was the dynamic behind the nearly 5% surge in Curaleaf (OTC: CURLF) stock on Wednesday, as yet another small step toward legalization was reported. That sub-5% pop was more than high enough to beat the flat-lining S&P 500 index. That news came from one of the dwindling number of U.S. states that has not yet legalized cannabis -- North Carolina. In a TV interview with WRAL News, the state's governor Josh Stein clearly expressed support for flipping the switch on legal weed. "If you are an adult and that's the choice you want to make, you should be able to make that choice," he said. So far, that doesn't seem to be just empty rhetoric. Stein has issued an executive order (EO) creating a North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis, a body that will evaluate the pros and cons of marijuana law reform in the state. It will be composed of as many as 30 individuals and include legislators, representatives from tribal groups, and agriculture specialists. In the interview, Stein expressed concern that the market for products associated with cannabis and hemp is unregulated and as such poses a risk to the state's youth. The situation will likely be one of the many explored by the council. Of course, this development in and of itself doesn't move the needle much for any pot company, let alone Curaleaf. Yet it's still another sign that the ice freezing U.S. marijuana law is melting, if only slowly and gradually. Investors are justified in feeling a small jolt of optimism and for hoping the momentum continues. Before you buy stock in Curaleaf, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Curaleaf wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $656,825!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $865,550!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 994% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 172% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 2, 2025 Eric Volkman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Curaleaf Stock Blasted Almost 5% Higher Today was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Recent antisemetic attacks worry, embolden central Ohio Jewish community
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — On Sunday, a group in Boulder, Colorado, that was raising awareness for hostages in Gaza, was attacked, leaving 12 people injured. Now, local groups are upping their security measures following this latest string of attacks against Jewish people and institutions. 'It's really beautiful when people can come together for a zero tolerance of hate and to combat anti-Semitism,' Julie Tilson Stanley, JewishColumbus president and CEO, said. 'And we're seeing that in Columbus.' Many in the Jewish community see these incidents as signs of growing antisemitism in the United States. According to JewishColumbus, this uptick in violence is a dangerous reminder of the consequences of unchecked hate and antisemitism, leaving the community shaken but undeterred. 'While it is a scary time, it's also a time of resilience and hope and action,' Tilson Stanley said. There have been other high-profile, antisemitic attacks in recent weeks, including the targeted killings of Israeli embassy staff in Washington D.C. 'People are feeling uneasy and they are anxious about going about their lives and even wearing a Jewish star or some sort of semblance of showing that they are Jewish,' Tilson Stanley said. In an email sent to the local Jewish community, JewishColumbus leaders said they've increased security. 'What that means is having officers present, as well as extra patrols, just making sure they are making the rounds at different institutions to ensure safety and security,' Tilson Stanley said. She said JewishColumbus has hired a chief security officer who communicates with all of the Jewish institutions in town, alongside their security director. 'Those two have an expertise in counterterrorism and what it means to really secure a community and do so across central Ohio,' Tilson Stanley said. JewishColumbus is also working closely with local, state and federal law enforcement. Bexley Police Chief Gary Lewis shared a statement on his department's efforts: 'The Bexley Police Department is committed to public safety and in response to the recent incidents which have occurred in our nation targeting the Jewish community we have increased our presence and efforts geared towards keeping everyone safe. We continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners such as the FBI JTTF and leadership with JewishColumbus.' 'When we are in a moment of fear, we know that how we can get through this is making sure we communicate, because a safe Jewish Columbus is a safe Columbus,' Tilson Stanley said. The recent attacks have shaken the community, but also brought them together, she said. 'Our Jewish clergy across Columbus work hard to ensure the safety of their populations, and also working with superintendents across central Ohio, of public schools and interfaith clergy of different, you know, of every religion, really trying to understand and educate,' Tilson Stanley said. JewishColumbus encourages the community to increase their situational awareness and contact police if something seems suspicious. They said if what you see is threatening physical harm, run until you're in a safe place, hide by denying the attacker access to and awareness of yourself, or, if needed, fight to save your life or the lives of those near you. Individuals can reach out to their security team with any concerns. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
