EAST LIVERPOOL County, others to finish pay-back

The state ordered the county to repay the rest of the money owed.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- East Liverpool soon will be getting a nearly half-million-dollar check for money owed to it by Columbiana County, its townships and municipalities.
The $461,286 going to the city marks a final repayment of state tax dollars known as local government funds.
The funds are distributed annually by the state to counties, townships and municipalities, with each entity getting a share of the total.
The debt to East Liverpool, originally about $1.2 million, was incurred from 1998 through 2001 when the county reduced the city's share of the funds from about 27 percent to about 18.5 percent.
The reduction, implemented by the county, was in response to complaints from area governments that East Liverpool's share was too large.
City appealed, won
The city appealed the reduction to the state and won its case.
The county responded by saying it would pay back the $1.2 million over five years. East Liverpool appealed the time, saying it wanted the money to be repaid as soon as possible.
During the appeal, the county, townships, villages ands cities have repaid all but $461,286 of the original debt.
The balance accounts for $153,762 owed by the county and $307,524 owed by the townships, villages and cities in the county.
The county's share will be repaid from a debt fund, county Auditor Nancy Milliken said.
The money owned by the other governmental entities will be repaid by them. They already have set the money aside, Milliken explained.
Another feud
The repayment doesn't end another feud over local government funds.
The city is fighting a state law enacted in 2002 that enabled the county to slash East Liverpool's share of the funds from nearly 27 percent to about 5.1 percent.
The city claims the law, sponsored by state Rep. Charles Blasdel of East Liverpool, R-1st, is unconstitutional.
leigh@vindy.com