New Philadelphia Weighs RITA Tax Proposal
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (Aug. 25, 2026) — New Philadelphia city officials are continuing talks over whether to outsource municipal income tax operations to the Regional Income Tax Agency, or RITA.
The proposal comes as the city looks for ways to address a tight financial situation. Council’s finance committee heard a presentation from RITA last week and is scheduled to meet again Wednesday at 4 p.m. in council chambers to discuss and review RITA.
During Monday night’s council meeting, Auditor Heather Denham and Income Tax Administrator Carly Loos urged council members to do more research before moving forward. Denham said some cities that joined RITA did so because they lacked local staff or tax office resources, while New Philadelphia already has those services in place.
Denham said council members should contact cities that have left RITA, as well as communities comparable in size to New Philadelphia. She questioned whether some of the benefits cited for RITA would outweigh resources the city already has in place.
Denham also shared concerns from one city that recently returned its tax operations in-house, including difficulties transferring taxpayer information and concerns about customer service and enforcement.
Loos said local tax preparers told her RITA returns can be harder for residents to navigate and may lead to higher preparation costs.
Loos emphasized the value of having a local tax office where residents can receive in-person assistance and where staff maintain detailed knowledge of individual accounts.
Both officials asked council to consider customer service, local accountability, transition issues, and feedback from residents and tax professionals before making a decision.