COLUMBIANA COUNTY Budget, recorder post on commission's agenda

Commissioners approved the move of $122,000 in unclaimed funds into the general fund.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- Columbiana County commissioners will likely adopt a temporary budget and name an interim recorder during the last two meetings of 2002.
Commissioners changed regularly scheduled Wednesday meetings to Tuesday and Dec. 31 because Christmas and New Year's Day both fall on Wednesday this year. The meetings will be at 9 a.m.
Commission President Jim Hoppel said the panel must appoint an interim county recorder because Gary Williams will be sworn in a a commissioner in January.
Williams, a Republican, defeated incumbent commissioner Dave Cranmer, a Democrat, in the November election.
The Republican Central Committee will name Williams' successor to the recorder post. John Payne, director of the Columbiana County Board of Elections, said the committee has up to 45 days after Williams resigns as recorder to name his replacement.
General fund
In other business, commissioners approved moving $122,000 from the unclaimed funds account into the county's general fund.
Commissioners said the unclaimed funds are tax refunds and the like from various county offices. After the funds are unclaimed for five years, the money can go into the general fund, commissioners said.
Cranmer said two years ago more than $200,000 became available. Commissioners approved use of that money to buy new cruisers for the sheriff's department, he said.
tullis@vindy.com