Lt. Governor pushes Kasich's tax plan - 21 News Now, More Local News for Youngstown, Ohio -

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Ohio's Lieutenant Governor visited the Valley on Monday to meet with business leaders to discuss and find out their reaction to the Governor Kasich's tax cut plan.

Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor met with business owners and leaders at City Machine Technologies rolling out Governor John Kasich's plan to make Ohio more business friendly.

"A 50 percent tax cut obviously for a small business is going to be significant, again reinvest in their business, innovate a new technology, hire more Ohioans. The 20 percent reduction in the overall personal individual tax rates so every Ohioan in Ohio that pays taxes is going to see a 20 percent cut over 3 years," Taylor said.

CMT's Vice President of Operations says the tax savings will help companies keep people working as the costs of doing business keep going up.

"With the cost of health care, cost of regulations, with the cost of taxes it's just a little extra cushion to help us do business," said Claudia Kovach, Vice President of Operations for CMT.

David Hughes, President of Specialty Fab in North Lima, says if the tax cuts are passed by state lawmakers, the savings will be used to buy equipment that will help his business stay competitive.

"We're going to put in a whole new manifold system that supplies our gas, oxygen and CO2 throughout our facility," Hughes said.

Business owners and leaders who filled the room say it is a needed start. "I've had several businesses leave Ohio because of the taxes. I think this is a step in the right direction. I believe we are knocking the rust off the rust belt," said Stanley Shearer, Northwestern Mutual Life.

The Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce, which represents about 2,600 small businesses, says the tax changes have the potential to help drive the economy forward.

"The chamber being the economic development agency for the area this helps us to attract new businesses into the area as well. They like to hear about our tax structure and reform and things like that," said Tony Pagalia, Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber.