Public adds input about sales-tax issue

Volunteers offered to help raise funds to keep 4-H programs in the county.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- A routine public hearing by the Columbiana County commissioners about putting a 0.5-percent sales tax on the May ballot drew some suggestions from the public.
Voters last month defeated the same issue, which would bring in about $4 million a year.
The commissioners and county Auditor Nancy Milliken came to Wednesday's hearing with charts that helped to start a dialogue.
Instead of a sales pitch, Commissioner Chairman Jim Hoppel told about 20 people, "We want to see where your interest lies."
Lyle Adkins of Wellsville said people voted against the tax because they were tired of endless taxes.
Commissioner Sean Logan said that many costs are passed down to the county and urged people to call the president of the Ohio Senate to complain about House Bill 3 in its present form. The bill would require the county to send cards to all county voters to remind them to vote in the presidential and gubernatorial elections. That would cost the county thousands of dollars, Logan said.
Adkins later conceded that if he were a county commissioner and had to ask the public for more money, "I'd go with a sales tax."
Hoppel said county officials are trying to save now, with Milliken's help, to soften the blow from the recent defeat.
Milliken said the county needs about a $700,000 carryover balance to start next year. But by cutting costs any way they can, officials said, they should enter 2006 with a $1.5 million balance.
They pointed out that the city of Salem will have about a $1 million carryover balance.
Housing prisoners
Hoppel said that housing the prisoners at the county jail takes a $3 million a year bite out of the budget. The number of county inmates at the jail, in just a few years, has risen from an average of 75 a day to 150 a day.
The county is part of a multicounty program that provides services to troubled youths. That takes another $1 million a year out of the budget, the commissioners said.
One man suggested that to help educate the public, the county's budget should be posted on the county's Web site so people can understand it better. Logan said he liked the idea and would do it.
The commissioners are expected to heavily cut funding to the county's Cooperative Extension Center. Earlier on Wednesday, Hoppel told Julie Herron, one of the extension workers, that they hope to find cheaper housing for the office than its present location.
Herron told the commissioners that if needed, volunteers will try to raise $33,000 to help keep the 4-H programs going to help county children. 4-H supporters at the tax hearing repeated that plan.
Another hearing will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the courthouse.
wilkinson@vindy.com