COLUMBIANA COUNTY Officials table decision on sales tax

The county can seek a sales tax for varying lengths.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- The Columbiana County commissioners aren't in agreement -- yet -- on the length of time for a proposed sales tax.
Commissioner Gary Williams said he is leaning toward placing a proposal for a permanent sales tax before voters.
Commissioners Sean Logan and Jim Hoppel said they hadn't made up their minds.
Logan said the commissioners can place a sales tax before voters for lengths ranging from months to a continuing period.
Hoppel, chairman of the commissioners, said, "Each individual is not ready to make their decision at this time."
The commissioners had planned to vote Wednesday to place the tax on the Nov. 2 ballot. Instead, they said they would bring the issue up at their meeting next week.
Williams said, "We're trying to do things differently [than] in the past and convince voters it's the right thing to do."
Weighing 1-percent tax
The commissioners have been considering placing a 1-percent sales before voters. That tax has been collected for five years.
The county also has a 0.5-percent sales tax. Together, the commissioners say, the two taxes are the largest sales tax the county can collect, and the lion's share of the county's general fund revenue.
Without the sales tax, the county has to make layoffs, and that hits the local economy by slowing the issuance of new car titles and real estate transfers, Williams said.
The 1-percent tax generates about 43 percent of the general fund revenue. The commissioners have said it's difficult to make long-term financial plans when that amount of funding comes up for renewal every five years.
When the sales tax goes back into effect after a defeat, they added, the county has to play financial catch-up.
The commissioners have until Aug. 19 to place tax issues with the county elections board for the fall election.
wilkinson@vindy.com