New money will bring deputies back

The county treasurer made short-term investments, hoping to bring in revenue.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Commissioner Paul Heltzel said Trumbull County might be able to bring back laid-off deputy sheriffs in two to four weeks.
This would be one effect of a budget commission meeting Tuesday, during which county officials certified that $3.6 million in new money would be available to finish this year.
Sheriff Thomas Altiere has asked for $290,000 to reopen the second floor of the county jail and reinstitute a limited road division to patrol unincorporated areas of the county. Altiere says he has some 22 deputies on layoff from earlier this year.
Commissioners Daniel Polivka and Paul Heltzel attended the budget commission's meeting but indicated that officials didn't intend to spend all of the additional money from sales taxes and investments right away. "I think everybody needs to err on the side of being conservative," Polivka said.
County Auditor David Hines said about $2 million of the new money needs to go to payroll for county employees who remained on the job this year. None of that $2 million is for bringing back laid-off employees, he said.
Heltzel said the time frame for workers to return is uncertain because the sheriff has not yet made a specific request and because it takes a little time for people to return to work once they have been recalled.
Of the other $1.6 million, Heltzel said one priority will be money for the county elections board, which has to pay for surge protectors and other supplies needed for this November's general election.
He said the county has also received money requests for more custodial work at the 11th District Court of Appeals building downtown, from Judge Andrew Logan concerning needs in the Common Pleas Court, and from other agencies.
Interest from investments
In addition to the $3 million the county will get from its two new sales taxes, the budget commission also revealed the presence of another $600,000 that can be spent.
The largest chunk of that, $200,000, is from interest on investments made by county Treasurer Christ Michelakis. He said he tried to put county money into short-term investments that would provide income during 2005 because he knew this year would be difficult financially.
He estimated this tactic will bring in about $925,000. The county auditor's office only used $200,000 of that amount in its $3.6 million number for certification -- causing Michelakis to wonder why a larger number was not used.
"I did that purposely to bring in more money for this year," Michelakis said.
Adrian Biviano, chief deputy auditor, said if the higher figure turns out to be accurate -- or if other incomes turn out to be larger than estimated -- the budget commission can certify more money a month from now.
Certification of revenue
The budget commission -- consisting of the county auditor, treasurer and prosecutor -- meets to certify that additional revenue is available for the county commissioners to spend when it becomes available.
In this case, the commission met because two quarter-percent sales tax increases began July 1, and the county received its first check last week.
Additional amounts, from other sources, that the budget commission certified are:
U $193,118 received by the sheriff's department to house prisoners.
U $92,248 received by the planning commission for administration of grants.
U $97,405 from a state grant for a victims and witnesses division, recently awarded to the prosecutor's office.
U $28,627 received by the board of elections from local governments and school boards for items that were on special election ballots.
runyan@vindy.com