Sales tax issue divides candidates

Republicans said they'll vote against the tax; Democrats are in favor of it.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Candidates for Mahoning County commissioner are divided by party lines in their support for a county 0.5 percent sales tax renewal.
The Democratic candidates, Anthony Traficanti and John A. McNally IV, say they support the tax, while Republicans Samuel M. Moffie and Patrick R. Strange say they'll vote against it.
Traficanti and Moffie are running for the seat held by Commissioner Ed Reese, and Strange and McNally are battling for the seat held by Commissioner Vicki Allen Sherlock. Reese and Sherlock are not seeking re-election.
"We're not going to fall apart if the sales tax fails," Moffie said, explaining that he doesn't believe current commissioners have done enough to "trim the fat" from county spending.
"They have never shown an instinct for saving money," said Moffie, of Boardman. "The only thing I have seen come out of Mahoning County government is a philosophy of spend, spend, spend, waste, waste, waste, and tax, tax, tax."
Traficanti, of Poland, disagreed with Moffie and said the tax is needed. "He has nothing to offer this campaign except gloom and doom," Traficanti said of Moffie.
McNally, who is Youngstown's law director, said commissioners have done a good job of eliminating unnecessary spending and he believes the tax revenue is critical to the county's survival.
"I don't know how much more they can cut," said McNally. "You can't cut your way to prosperity."
About the tax
The tax expires Dec. 31 and brings in about $13 million a year, which accounts for about 26 percent of the county's annual general fund revenue.
Strange, of Campbell, said he's voting against the tax because commissioners eliminated a revenue-sharing program they implemented five years ago and because commissioners are asking voters to renew it as a continuing measure instead of for five years.
Auditor George Tablack told commissioners earlier this year that the county can no longer afford to dole out 25 percent of the tax revenue to local communities for development projects. He said the county has spent more than it took in for five consecutive years.
But Strange said the program was a gesture of good will toward the communities from the commissioners' office and he thinks it should continue regardless of Tablack's warning.
Despite his intent to vote against the tax in the Nov. 2 election, Strange said, "Yes, I believe it is needed."
Moffie, Strange and Traficanti said if they win and the tax fails, they would probably place a tax back on the ballot and try to persuade voters to approve it.
Moffie said he would do that only after he is sure all steps have been taken to cut unnecessary spending.
Their ideas
Strange said he would not immediately impose a tax but said he might eventually consider it if voters are "ridiculous" with continued rejections and the county must have the money. He doesn't think it would come to that, though.
McNally said if the tax fails in November, he would not be in favor of bringing it back before voters any time soon.
"This might be the last stand for this sales tax for quite a while," McNally said. If it fails, commissioners should eliminate programs, lay off as many employees as necessary and adjust to doing business at sharply reduced levels.
"I don't know if people really care any more about the services that would have to be cut," McNally said. "Just the fact that they're not going to have to pay that half-cent tax might be enough to keep them satisfied."
McNally said that as law director, he has been involved in laying off several city employees because of budget constraints.
"I won't hesitate to do it again if that's what it takes to help right the ship," McNally said.
bjackson@vindy.com