MAHONING COUNTY Campbell talks of consolidating municipal services

Another meeting to discuss the auditors' findings will be called next week.
By MARALINE KUBIK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
CAMPBELL -- Consolidating services could offer the city and neighboring communities a more efficient and economical way of operating, according to council president Robert P. Yankle.
He has invited officials from Struthers, Lowellville and Coitsville to a meeting here to discuss the possibility.
The meeting, planned for 6 p.m. Aug. 2, will be the first of many to promote working relationships among the communities at the eastern end of Mahoning County, and to discuss more efficient ways of operating, Yankle said.
Formation of a metropolitan district with a single police department, fire department, street department and sewer district are among the items that could benefit Campbell as well at its neighbors, Yankle told his fellow council members during a special meeting late Friday afternoon.
The meeting was initially called to discuss the findings of the state auditor's office in regard to Campbell's fiscal emergency. However, Mayor Jack Dill said, the auditors won't be ready to talk until sometime next week, when another meeting will be called.
So, council members used the time to discuss ongoing work to bring the city out of fiscal emergency and the problems that must be overcome.
Forming a metropolitan district and consolidating at least some services with neighboring communities is one option to help reduce expenses, Yankle said; joining the Youngstown Fire District is another. "What I'm looking for is the cheapest way possible to maintain services," he explained.
The city must also find a way to collect tax money it's owed.
Regional agency
The most efficient way to collect income taxes, at least temporarily, could be by hiring Regional Income Tax Agency to do the work, according to the mayor. RITA is the tax collection agency formed by the Regional Council of Governments. RITA collects taxes for 89 municipalities throughout Ohio and charges 21/2 to 3 percent of all collections.
Wellsville in Columbiana County uses the service and has had good results, Dill added. With workers in the city finance director's office already overloaded and unable to devote their undivided attention to income tax collection, he said, having RITA oversee collections could provide the quickest results.
John Leskovyansky, finance director, said that at first, he was opposed to hiring RITA because that work could be completed by a city employee and he does not want to eliminate any jobs. But, after considering the city's current situation -- income tax collections through May are down $57,000 compared to the same time last year -- agreed with the mayor that hiring RITA, at least temporarily, is in the best interest of the city.
Leskovyansky, who currently oversees tax collections, told the mayor that in the midst of the city's current financial crisis, he cannot devote more time to collecting back taxes.
"I think RITA is a great program. As far as I'm concerned, it's a win/win situation," the mayor said.
RITA will pursue collection of unpaid income taxes from the last seven years.
Legislation to hire RITA could be introduced later this summer, the mayor said, but the soonest the agency would assume the duties of collecting income taxes for the city would be September.
kubik@vindy.com