MAHONING CO. Few show interest in sales tax

Another sales-tax hearing will be next Thursday at the courthouse.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Having public hearings on a county sales-tax ballot issue has become an exercise in futility, Mahoning County commissioners say.
No matter where or when commissioners have the hearings, few people, if any, show up.
"It's frustrating, but the law says we have to hold them," said Commissioner David Ludt. "So we'll keep holding them whether anyone comes or not."
Ohio law requires commissioners to have at least two public hearings before placing issues on the ballot. Commissioners have said they will seek renewal of a 0.5 percent county sales tax in November.
The tax expires Dec. 31, and the $13 million it generates each year accounts for about one-fourth of the county's annual general fund revenue.
First hearing
Commissioners had the first public hearing Tuesday and only one person from the public showed up. The rest of those who attended were either county officials or employees.
No one spoke against the tax Tuesday. The only person who spoke in favor of it was David Goerig, director of the Ohio State University Extension Agency office in Canfield.
The hearing lasted about 10 minutes, with most of the time being taken for Clerk Nancy Laboy to read aloud the commissioners' resolution establishing the hearings, which also is required by law.
The next hearing will be at 10 a.m. June 24 in the commissioners' hearing room in the courthouse basement. Commissioners expect the turnout to be about the same.
Ludt and Commissioner Ed Reese said part of the problem is that the hearings are during working hours, which makes it difficult for people to attend. They also said people are probably out of town on vacations, so are not available to attend.
But Ludt said the results have been largely the same no matter where or when the hearings have been held.
"We've had them at night, and we've had them in the daytime. We've had them downtown and we've had them out in the townships. People just don't come," he said. "I don't know why."
bjackson@vindy.com