Aircraft Repair Companies Blame Ohio Tax on Job Cuts

Small aircraft owners and operators say they fly their planes to other states such as New Hampshire for repairs to avoid an Ohio sales tax on parts and labor. Company owners vow to continue lobbying the Ohio Legislature to repeal the tax, which they say forces them to cut jobs. They were unsuccessful in pushing for the change in the two-year state budget signed into law June 30. "I don't want to chase jobs away," said Mark Geisler, service center general manager at Winner Aviation, based at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. "And this tax is chasing jobs away."  Ohio state lawmakers balked at repealing the tax this year because it would cost the state $12 million to $15 million annually in lost tax revenue.
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