Drive to fight tax fizzles

WARREN -- The failure of a referendum attempt means the collection of two additional Trumbull County sales taxes will begin in July, barring anything unforeseen.
Thaddeus Price of Howland had hoped that three separate petition drives would force the two quarter-percent taxes, imposed by county commissioners about a month ago, to the ballot in November.
He needs to gather 7,170 signatures for each petition drive. Wednesday he had only 1,500 on one, 1,500 on the second and about 1,000 on the third.
"It's regrettable," he said while overseeing the paperwork from a bench at the Howland Township gazebo on East Market Street.
Price said he knew Monday it was too late to get enough signatures to force a referendum on a nonemergency quarter-percent additional sales tax for county general fund operations.
"It's pretty much D.O.A," he said.
Friday is the deadline for delivering that particular petition's signatures to county Auditor David Hines. Price said he will turn in the signatures, but there won't be enough.
Time remains
The opponents still have time, until Aug. 25 (75 days before the general election), to seek a repeal of an emergency quarter-percent additional sales tax for criminal justice services, such as the sheriff. These signatures would be filed with the county board of elections.
Collection on that tax, though, also starts in July because it's an emergency measure. Both taxes are to be collected for a continuing period.
The referendum on the nonemergency tax faltered but not for lack of trying: Price said he and Bill Walls, proprietor of B & amp;B Automotive Machine in Warren, have both put in three weeks' worth of 12-hour days. Some 30 volunteers helped.
"It's lack of participation on the part of voters," Price said. On a good day, he'd see 60 to 70 people.
Price also lamented the lack of cooperation from area merchants, who weren't keen on petitioners gathering signatures at their place of business. "We need an army, but we also need a fortress, too," he said.
Commissioner James Tsagaris stopped at the gazebo to chat with Price about his progress Wednesday as he was being interviewed by a reporter.
Price said he'll still carry on the fight for repealing the emergency tax, but from his home in Howland and not the gazebo.
"We've still got the chance," Price said. "I've still got people banging on doors," and people are still coming in for the emergency tax petitions.
Potential suit
That particular fight also could move back to the courts. Price maintains a curveball thrown his way by commissioners could raise legal questions.
Last month, Price dropped his sales tax lawsuit against the commissioners after they specified how the money would be used for criminal justice services.
By changing that tax resolution, commissioners created more work for those petitioning for the repeal. That amended resolution lists how the money would be for the sheriff and jail, courts and coroner.
"It still has the potential for a lawsuit," Price said, because there were no required public hearings on the amended resolution and no legal notice was published.
That move by commissioners actually created three petition drives: against the original resolution, the amended resolution and the resolution for the nonemergency tax. That was just in case either of the criminal justice resolutions is found to be void.
Total taxes
The county already collects a half-percent sales tax; the two new taxes would make the county's total sales tax rate 1 percent. Voters trounced a measure for continuing an additional half-percent sales tax for county operations in 2003.
The taxes are on retail sales. Each quarter-percent tax would generate about $400,000 per month, or about $4.8 million a year, if collections remain steady.
The money could ease the county's financial problems at year's end; the full benefit will come in 2006 and thereafter, officials said.
This year it's too late to negate the layoffs and reduced hours already in place for offices such as the sheriff, recorder and treasurer. The county's $32 million general fund budget for 2005 is $6 million short, officials said. Along with the layoffs, court funding has been kept at 2004 levels.
Ironically, the additional county taxes and the state sales tax could wash out each other this summer.
Ohio's sales tax went from 5 percent to 6 percent July 1, 2003. The state budget bill that upped the sales tax rate also calls for the increase to end July 1. On that date, the Ohio sales tax rate is scheduled to return to 5 percent.