By Kevin Aldridge
The Cincinnati Enquirer

DOWNTOWN - Cincinnati City Council voted 5-4 Wednesday to roll back property tax rates for city homeowners.

The rollback would save an owner of a $100,000 home about $7 a year. The vote erases a $1.2 million tax increase passed by City Council last year and returns taxes to the 1999 rate.

"This is a modest tax relief. I wish we were doing more," said Councilman Pat DeWine, who pushed the plan. "Our taxpayers are being nibbled to death (by tax increases)."

Council had to choose between competing property tax break proposals Wednesday.

They agreed to one from DeWine that reduces the rate from 5.27 mills to 5.0 mills. A second plan supported a more modest rollback to 5.2 mills.

Councilwoman Laketa Cole's vote for the DeWine proposal was decisive.

"If this council can vote to give corporations a break, we can give citizens a break," Cole said. "I'm voting today to support the citizens."

Voting with DeWine and Cole were council members Alicia Reece, John Cranley and Chris Monzel.

Councilman David Crowley criticized DeWine's rollback proposal saying it was "ridiculous and poor legislation" to forfeit $1.2 million from the budget without first considering what city programs might have to be cut in 2004.

Email kaldridge@enquirer.com