MAHONING COUNTY Revenue program garners an award
The award is for distribution of a portion of sales tax revenue to local communities.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A revenue-sharing program created by Mahoning County commissioners is being held up as a model program for counties all over the country.
"It's a wonderful program," said Jacqueline Byers of the National Association of Counties. "The county did a fantastic job with it."
Byers was to be in Youngstown today to present commissioners an achievement award for its innovative use of sales tax revenue.
At issue is a community development grant program commissioners began in 1999 while stumping for passage of a 0.5-percent sales tax. The tax had been defeated by voters in a previous election, so commissioners devised the program to promote it for passage.
Under the plan, 10 percent of the sales tax revenue is set aside for distribution to local communities and townships, which in turn use it for community-related projects.
According to the commissioners' office, some 36 community projects have been completed through the program since 2000.
Money is also set aside for road projects by the county engineer, and for funding of nonmandated agencies.
"What the county did was learn from a mistake," Byers said. "When voters rejected that tax, the county went out and found out what they had done wrong."
She said no other county in the country has thought to have such a program in place.
When NAC judges looked at the more than 800 applications received for this year's achievement awards, they unanimously agreed that Mahoning County should be among the winners, Byers said.
Disagreed with critics
Critics of the funding program have called it pork because the money goes to communities and townships, not the county. Byers disagreed, though.
"We understand the need for counties to find revenue to meet their needs," Byers said. "They are right there where the rubber meets the road, where services are delivered."
Commissioner Vicki Allen Sherlock, who developed the program with county Administrator Gary Kubic, said the award is an honor.
"At the time it was developed we knew we had come up with something unique," she said.
She said some communities have used their share of the funding to leverage government grants, bringing in even more money and opening the door for larger projects.
"It's been more successful than we'd even imagined it would be," Sherlock said.
bjackson@vindy.com