Columbiana County leaders have time to revisit the tax

Unlike Mahoning County, which finds itself on the edge of an economic precipice because of Tuesday's defeat of a sales tax issue, Columbiana County isn't on the verge of financial collapse as a result of voters' refusing to renew a 1 percent sales tax that would have been on the books for a continuous period. Why? Because the tax does not actually expire until next year.
The Mahoning County 0.5 percent tax will expire Dec. 31, and voters were asked to renew it permanently. They refused. Thus, government is facing a $13 million-plus general fund shortfall by the end of 2005.
In Columbiana County, Commissioners Sean Logan, Jim Hoppel and Gary Williams decided to put the 1 percent tax issue on the general election ballot because of the uncertain economic future of the county. Logan, Hoppel and Williams also sought to have the tax on the book permanently.
However, the 25,794 votes against the issue and the 20,992 votes for it indicate that county government has some work to do in persuading taxpayers that long-term economic stability is important.
But all is not lost. Commissioners can take encouragement from the fact that Logan and Hoppel, who were seeking re-election last week, received respectable votes of confidence from the people. In other words, while the tax issue was rejected, the two incumbents were re-elected. They should use that support to reach out to the taxpayers.
Making the tax permanent is not only good economic policy, but it is what most of the 77 counties that have such a tax have done.
Mandated services
Before Tuesday's election, the grass-roots campaign called "Cents Make Sense" argued that the $7.6 million a year that the 1 percent tax generates is essential to provide services mandated by the state and federal governments. It is a truism that while Columbus and Washington are requiring counties to do more, they are cutting back on funding.
And things can be expected to get worse, given the growing federal budget deficit and the projected $4 billion shortfall in the state's general fund for the next biennium.
It is because of this economic uncertainty that commissioners Logan, Hoppel and Williams are pushing for a continuous tax. They correctly argue that county government cannot undertake long-range planning when it is constantly battling to keep the sales taxes on the books.
What Tuesday's election did show, however, is that commissioners and those involved in the "Cents Make Sense" campaign need to hone their message and figure out a way of getting it to the people.
Next year, voters will be asked to renew both sales taxes, the 1 percent and the 0.5 percent. A no vote is too scary to contemplate. Bottom line: Rejection is not an option.