COLUMBIANA COUNTY Cost of replacing dog tags will rise

A labor union is complaining about a construction project that's under way in an area industrial park.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- Columbiana County residents who lose the metal tags worn by their dogs will have to spend more next year to replace them.
County commissioners agreed Wednesday to raise the cost of replacement tags from 25 cents per tag to $1.
The increase, which takes effect Jan. 1, is needed to cover the cost of producing the tags and mailing them to applicants, commissioners explained.
Right now, the 25 cents that's charged barely covers the cost of the metal tag itself.
About 100 replacement tags are issued annually by the county.
The cost of buying original dog tags remains at $8.
Union complaint: An area labor union is complaining that it didn't get a fair opportunity to bid on a job being undertaken by General Extrusions Inc. at the Columbiana County Port Authority's World Trade Park along state Route 344 in Leetonia.
Don Crane, a representative of Millwright Local Union 1871, based in Steubenville, told commissioners that members of his union wanted employment installing machinery in a $15 million plant being constructed by General Extrusions Inc., Boardman.
Crane said the job went instead to a Canfield company that doesn't employ union millwrights.
"I don't think we were given a fair shake" in bidding for the job, Crane said.
He argued, without elaborating, that the General Extrusions project is benefiting from state and federal funding, which means the company must ensure that prevailing wages are paid.
Prevailing wage is generally established based on the rate union laborers are paid for certain work, Tracy Drake, port authority director, said after the meeting.
But even though a company may be required to pay prevailing wage, that doesn't mean it must hire union workers, Drake said.
A company spokesman was unavailable to comment.
General Extrusions is constructing a 92,000-square-foot plant in Leetonia. It's expected to be running by December and to create 65 jobs within three years.
The plant will fashion aluminum into shapes used by manufacturers in various industries.
Recycling grant: In other matters, commissioners agreed to apply for a state recycling grant that would provide about $7,000 toward the cost of buying recycled paper for copying machines used in county government.
In 2000, the county spent about $8,300 buying regular copying paper.
Under the terms of the grant, the county could buy recycled paper, which is more expensive. But the county would spend only about $3,400 because the grant would provide nearly $7,000 toward that expense.
leigh@vindy.com