Challenges loom large for Mahoning County

Even if the voters of Mahoning County approve the renewal of a 0.5 percent sales tax in November, county government will have to deal with a $3 million shortfall in its operating budget. And there are no other untapped sources of revenue. That means every department will have to tighten its belt.
On the other hand, if voters say no to the tax, as they did in the March primary election, $13 million a year will be lost from the general fund. Departments will have to do much more than simply sucking it in. That's why defeat of the tax must not be allowed to occur.
Just promising to be good stewards of the public treasury won't cut it. The key to the successful passage of the tax can be found in one word: Sacrifice -- by all county employees.
The tax, which expires Dec. 31, accounts for about 25 percent of the county's overall annual general fund budget.
"It will be devastating if we lose that revenue," Commissioner David Ludt said recently. Of the three county commissioners, Ludt has reason to be most worried. He will be the only one around come January. His two colleagues, Edward Reese and Vicki Allen Sherlock, chose not to seek re-election this year and will leave office at the end of the year.
Ludt, therefore, should lead the charge in seeking concessions from those county employees who have refused to consider even the most common of cost-sharing proposals (in the private sector, at least): co-payment for health insurance premiums.
Deputy sheriffs
In April, in the wake of the tax renewal's defeat, the county's deputy sheriffs accepted sharp increases in their share of the health-care premiums as part of their new three-year contract. The deputies also agreed to a wage freeze in the first and second years, but were able to get agreement on a wage reopener next year.
As we said in an editorial at the time, "We have long called for public employees at all levels to embrace the kind of sacrifices that private sector workers have had to make for the past several years.
"We hope the agreement hammered out by the deputy sheriffs will become the standard for all other county departments and agencies.
"Demands for pay raises and a refusal to bear more of the health-care premium burden will all but guarantee the defeat of the sales tax in November."
There are several reasons why the tax renewal failed earlier this year, but the one heard most often is that the voters do not believe that taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely by county government. Given the budget cuts that are already in place and the other cost-saving measures that have been adopted, the public's perception may be the result of the commissioners' failing to communicate effectively with the people.
As the only one who has a direct stake in how the tax renewal fares in November, it would be advisable for Ludt to lead the public relations campaign.
If he does, he will undoubtedly be asked the following question: Given that personnel-related costs, including salaries and benefits, account for a large chunk of the general fund, what concessions are county employees making?
Commissioners have yet to decide whether to seek renewal of just the expiring 0.5 percent tax, or to consolidate that tax and the other 0.5 tax into a 1 percent levy. They are also considering a recommendation from Auditor George Tablack to seek approval of the tax for five years, 10 years or a continuing period.
Regardless of the option they choose, Ludt, Reese and Sherlock have to win over the electorate. That won't be an easy task, and they certainly won't do it without the cooperation of the county workers.