Chamber President Speaks on Opposition

The Zanesville-Muskingum County Chamber of Commerce is opposed to a proposal from Governor Kasich, to increase the severance tax on shale oil and gas drilling in Ohio.

In the governor’s proposal, if the severance tax increases, the state’s personal income tax will decrease. The Chamber’s Board of Directors voted Tuesday to stand in opposition.

"While we might agree with the objective to reduce the state income tax, that’s positive, everyone can agree with that, we don’t like the way it’s been proposed to pay for that," said Chamber of Commerce President Tom Poorman.

The Chamber believes higher taxes would make it more difficult to compete with other areas in the country and world for oil and gas investment. Poorman said this could potentially deter investors from choosing our area.

"They don’t have to invest in Utica shale in Ohio. Many of them are, we think many of them will continue to. But will the economic impact be as large as it would be if we didn’t have higher taxes? That’s what we’re afraid of."

The severance tax proposal is currently stalled in the statehouse.