MAHONING COUNTY Tablack renews call for budget by Dec. 31

Commissioner Vicki Sherlock said nothing is set in stone.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County Auditor George Tablack said he's not backing away from his call for county commissioners to approve a permanent 2005 budget before the end of this year.
But Commissioners Ed Reese and Vicki Allen Sherlock are holding fast to their stance that a temporary budget will do until two new commissioners are seated in January. Sherlock and Reese did not seek re-election, and their terms expire at the end of this year.
"We're sitting here making excuses for not taking action," Tablack said.
The county expects to lose about $14 million a year in general fund revenue, beginning next year, because voters rejected renewal of a 0.5 percent sales tax that expires Dec. 31. The tax revenue accounts for about one-fourth of the county's annual general fund revenue.
Commissioner Dave Ludt had suggested the commissioners impose the tax, and public meetings have been set on that issue.
Tablack has said commissioners should act now to pass a 2005 budget reflecting massive cuts to each department. He said elected and appointed officials need the budget in place so they will know how deeply to cut their own departments.
He said Monday that the decision on setting a permanent budget rests with the commissioners. They weren't available to comment.
Tablack has urged the board to approve a permanent budget before Reese and Sherlock leave office. But Reese and Sherlock have said they will approve only a temporary budget for the first three months of 2005.
They said the permanent budget should be prepared by newly elected commissioners John McNally IV and Anthony Traficanti and Ludt. By law, commissioners have until April 1 to pass a budget.
Sherlock said commissioners would seek guidance from the county prosecutor's office on whether they should pass a permanent budget or let their successors do it.
Tablack said the county spends about $1 million per week. With the reduced income from loss of the sales tax, that will be cut to about $750,000 a week.
"It's ridiculous to look for a legal opinion to try to explain that simple math," Tablack said. "No prosecutor's opinion is going to print money."
Closer scrutiny
Sherlock said budgets for all departments must be scrutinized "clearly and closely" before a budget is passed.
"I think that before a permanent budget is done, every department should be closely examined to see where cuts can be made," Sherlock said. "That's what we've been charged to do by the taxpayers."
She said regardless of whether commissioners approve a temporary or permanent budget, officeholders should know that their budgets will be sharply reduced next year because of the sales tax failure.
"Everyone clearly understands the need to move forward and make those cuts," Sherlock said.
Reese said department heads have made budget cuts in past years based on a temporary budget and commissioners believe they can do that again this year.