COLUMBIANA COUNTY Board to trim money from funding requests

Commissioners accepted the resignation of a longtime county official.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- Columbiana County commissioners are faced in the next few months with paring about $2.7 million from 2002 funding requests submitted recently by county department heads.
Commissioners said Wednesday that county departments are asking for about $15.5 million in funding for next year.
But the county's 2002 revenues are estimated at about $12.8 million.
Commissioners must trim the departments' requests so they match the estimated revenues.
Department head funding requests typically come in far above projected revenues.
Commissioner Dave Cranmer called the requests the county's wish list.
In coming months, commissioners will meet with department heads to scrutinize their proposed 2002 budgets and determine how much each department will be allocated.
A 2002 budget will be adopted near the first of the year.
Resignation: In other matters, commissioners accepted the resignation of Sandy Glass, director of the county's office on aging.
The agency provides services to senior citizens, including helping them with transportation needs and helping them apply for social services.
Glass, 54, said she's retiring Dec. 14 because she's ready to move on and let someone else run the agency.
She has been agency director for 17 years, supervising a staff of one full-time person and seven part-timers.
The office on aging has an annual budget of about $95,000, including $18,000 provided by the county. The remainder comes from state and federal funds.
Glass recommended that commissioners hire Carol Redmond of Wellsville to replace her.
Redmond works for the office as a part-time health education coordinator.
Commissioners said they will consider her recommendation.
Group home: It may be the end of August or early September before the reopening of a county-run group home for troubled girls in East Palestine.
The county job and family services department had hoped to reopen the Kyes Group Home on July 1.
Delays in hiring staff and completing renovations are prompting the postponement, explained Eileen Dray-Bardon, jobs and family services director.
The home was forced to close in June 2000 because the county ran out of money to operate it.
Passage of a levy in the November election is providing enough money for Kyes to resume operations.
leigh@vindy.com