MAINEVILLE- If a group of residents have their way, this village may soon become a thing of the past.

The village of Maineville could be voted out of existence come November. (Enquirer file photo) | ZOOM |

        Armed with a petition, about a hundred of the 1,000 residents of the southern Warren County community are expected to show up for a council meeting tonight on a mission to shut down the village founded in 1815.

        Angered mainly by a recently enacted 1 percent earnings tax, the group will instruct Village Clerk Melissa Mirace to verify more than 140 signatures in the petition, then submit the issue to the Warren County Board of Elections to be placed on the November ballot.

        “From what I understand, this country is a democracy, which means it is for the people and by the people — not three or four people, but the majority,” said Hap Graham, a village resident who plans to lead the charge at the 7 p.m. meeting. She expects onlookers to pack the tiny council chambers at the village building on Ohio 48. “They are not doing anything in the best interest of the village.”

        Earlier this year, voters rejected levies that would have funded the bulk of village operating expenses. The council said at the time that the only option was to create the income tax as bills mounted.

        But that left several residents angry, saying the earnings tax was enacted under their noses without enough notice to quickly bring it to a vote. “The village has gone bankrupt, and no one tells us where the money is going,” Ms. Graham said.

        She and others are also disgruntled that a village fair at the main intersection in town disrupts traffic every year and that former Police Chief Joe Lane lost his job in 2000 when the village agreed to turn over policing and fire protection to neighboring Hamilton Township.

        If the 2.5-square-mile village were to dissolve, all of its operations would likely be taken over by the township. But Hamilton Township and Maineville officials were not yet aware of the exact procedures for making that a reality.

        “The township would have to bail the village out,” said Becky Ehling, one of three Hamilton Township trustees. “I don't have any hard feelings toward Maineville. I hope they can work out what's best for everybody involved.”

        If the township did, indeed, swallow Maineville, Ms. Ehling is hopeful that the village would remain at least a historic district to preserve its history and identity. “A lot of people are proud to say they are from Maineville,” she said.

        Douglas Drook, a member of Village Council, said: “I would like to see the village stay the village, and Hamilton stay as Hamilton.”

        Mr. Drook said he has heard murmurs of a brewing battle, but believes that the benefits of staying small outweigh those of joining a larger township. “We don't hear from any (residents), but as soon as we put the income tax into effect, everyone shows up and wants to argue about it,” he said. “Nobody shows up until it is too late. I don't know if they understand the ramifications of losing the village.”

        Reporter Sheila McLaughlin contributed to this story.

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