Commissioners search for funds to finish the year

Several departments still need extra money, which isn't available right now.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County's commissioners and the county auditor will spend the next few weeks trying to determine if there are ways to get additional money to make it through the year.
County voters said yes to a five-year, half-percent sales tax Tuesday, and merchants will begin collecting the extra half-penny Oct. 1. But not a dime of that money will be available to the county until January.
Therefore, the financial crisis for 2005 continues because the commissioners have appropriated every dime of the $39.9 million the county has been certified to spend.
The following are some departments that still need money to make it through the year:
USheriff's department: The department, at its current spending rate, faces a $7.2 million deficit and a real possibility of missing payrolls.
U Board of elections: The election cost the board $133,000 that wasn't originally budgeted because no countywide primary election had been slated for this year. That changed when the commissioners put the sales tax on the ballot. The board has threatened to sue for about $300,000 to make sure there is funding for the general election in November.
U Clerk of Courts: Clerk Anthony Vivo has said he needs about another $400,000 to make sure mandated paperwork is processed on time.
U Common pleas court: The court has been underfunded by about $400,000, most of which would be used to pay lawyers for representing their indigent clients.
U Facilities and maintenance: The department will need additional funding to pay rising utility costs at the courthouse, South Side annex on Market Street and the county jail.
Spending certification
Commissioner David Ludt said Auditor George J. Tablack was in Columbus on Wednesday to meet with a representative of the state auditor's office to discuss and identify ways to increase the county's spending certification for this year.
Commissioners John A. McNally IV and Anthony Traficanti both said the commissioners will meet with Tablack when he returns to go over what ability the county has to increase the budget for this year.
The commissioners emphasized laid-off employees won't be recalled this year, and there could be more layoffs.
Traficanti said the county's financial forecast to the state auditor will include how the commissioners will handle debt and a projected deficit.
Tablack already has said the county will have a deficit this year and will probably be in state fiscal emergency. He also has proposed the commissioners adopt a two-year fiscal plan for the county.
Jail
Ludt added the commissioners will meet with the county jail's special master today to discuss the options available to keep the facility open.
The jail is under a federal consent decree to keep the inmate population in proportion to the number of deputies to man the Fifth Avenue facility. Some prisoners were furloughed from the jail to reduce the population.
County officials have said the financial problems were caused by the expiration of the sales tax last year. Voters twice failed to renew the tax, so the revenue flow of between $12 million to $14 million a year ended.
The lost revenue has resulted in layoffs and reduction in services in nearly all county general fund departments.