MAHONING COUNTY Sales-tax backers to bill state

A spokesman said asking the state for money will be a symbolic gesture.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A state ballot initiative booted Mahoning County's sales-tax renewal out of the slot for Issue 1 on the Nov. 2 general election ballot.
Now tax supporters say the state should foot the bill for costs incurred by a sales-tax campaign committee to change some of its campaign materials, including a dozen billboards.
"We're actually going to send them a bill asking for our money back," said Joseph Caruso, assistant county administrator. "We followed the rules and they didn't."
Caruso said he's not sure which state agency will get a bill from the tax-backers. He said the group doesn't expect to actually get a refund.
"We just want to make a point," he said.
Caruso is working with a group called Citizens to Continue the Progress, which is promoting renewal of a 0.5-percent county sales tax next month.
When commissioners voted to place the tax measure on the ballot, they were under the impression that it would appear as Issue 1. They spent about $18,000 on billboards urging voters to approve Issue 1.
What happened
After the billboards were already ordered and paid for, a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution was placed on the ballot.
Since it's a state issue, it became Issue 1 on the ballots, and the sales tax will appear as Issue 2. The proposed amendment would ban same-sex marriages and civil unions in Ohio.
It cost about $1,500 for the sales-tax committee to have the signs changed. They now promote passage of Issue 2.
Caruso said the local group held off buying the billboards as long as it could, just in case the state issue went forward.
After the signs were ordered, the state granted an extension of time to supporters of the constitutional amendment to get on the ballot and that's what caused the problem, he said.
"The state plays by a different set of rules," Caruso said. "We think we should get our money back."
bjackson@vindy.com