MAHONING COUNTY Commissioners unveil 4 options for sales tax

Voters could be looking at another 0.5 percent tax, or a 1 percent tax.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County commissioners are mulling four options for renewal of a county sales tax.
One of them will be ultimately be presented to voters at the polls in the fall.
Commissioners hope to hear input from the public on the options today during the first of two public hearings on the tax measure. The second hearing will be at 10 a.m. Jan. 24, also in the commissioners' hearing room, in the basement of the county courthouse.
A 0.5 percent county sales tax will expire Dec. 31. Voters rejected a five-year renewal in March, so commissioners are going back to the polls in November for a second try.
Joseph Caruso, assistant county administrator, said commissioners could seek another five-year renewal of the tax, or could ask voters to approve a continuing tax.
They also are looking into consolidating the expiring tax with another 0.5 percent tax that expires in three years, for a 1 percent tax for either five years or permanently.
All of those options will be discussed during the public hearings.
Caruso and Commissioner David Ludt said that if one of the 1 percent options is put on the ballot and passes, the tax that expires in 2007 would be repealed.
"We would like the maintain a 1 percent county sales tax," Ludt said. "We're not looking to increase it, just to maintain what we currently have."
Public meetings
Commissioners have until Aug. 19 to pass a resolution placing a tax issue on the November ballot. Caruso said they're holding the public hearings now to see whether there is public support for any of the options.
The tax brings in about $13 million a year, which accounts for about 25 percent of the county's annual general fund income. If it fails in November, commissioners have said massive budget cuts and layoffs will result.
Even if the tax passes, a new state law will keep the county from collecting revenue for the first three months of 2005, a loss of about $3.5 million.
Caruso said more meetings to discuss the county's financial situation with the public and with the business community will be scheduled later this summer.
At the commissioners' request, the Ohio auditor's office is conducting a financial forecast for the county. Caruso said the forecast should be completed by late July, and the meetings will probably be in August.
He said commissioners will be able to present a clearer picture of the county's financial status with the state report in hand.
bjackson@vindy.com