61 tax issues to appear on November ballot

There are fewer tax issues on Valley ballots than last November.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Four county court judges -- three in Mahoning County and one in Trumbull County -- seeking re-election in November are running unopposed.
No one filed nominating petitions by Thursday's deadline to challenge Judges Scott D. Hunter, Joseph M. Houser or Diane S. Vettori in Mahoning or against Judge Ronald J. Rice of Trumbull's Eastern District.
There are 61 tax issues on the Nov. 7 ballot from cities, townships, villages, school districts, fire districts and other taxing entities in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.
That is a decline from almost 90 tax issues on the November 2005 ballot.
Five taxing entities are returning to the ballot after being rejected by voters in May, most notably the 0.5 percent, five-year sales and use tax from Columbiana County to raise about $4 million annually. Voters also rejected that sales and use tax in the November 2005 election.
Six other tax requests from last November rejected by voters are back for another try.
Sebring requests
Among those is the Sebring school district seeking support for a 1-percent, five-year income tax. Along with the school income tax request, the village of Sebring is asking voters to increase its income tax from 1.5 percent to 2 percent in November. If the two proposals pass, Sebring would have a 3 percent income tax.
Among the new tax proposals is a 9.5-mill, five-year additional levy from the Youngstown school district for current operating expenses and ongoing permanent improvements. The Mahoning County auditor's office certified the amount to be raised annually by the levy at $5.83 million.
But the school district estimates the amount to be raised at $4.1 million. That's because the school district's estimate doesn't include assessing the new millage on personal property tax, said Carolyn Funk, the district's treasurer.
That tax is being phased out by the state and will be gone by the time the levy is actually being collected, she said. Also, Funk estimates collection at 90 percent.
There are 57 petitions for liquor options to appear on the Nov. 7 ballot, including 40 from Mahoning County. There were 69 requests for liquor options in the three counties last November.
Voters in Campbell will decide two major issues for the community: Can officials sell the city's water treatment plant and lines to Aqua Ohio Inc., and can the city solicit proposals for fire services, assuming both referendums are certified by the Mahoning County Board of Elections to appear in November.
Also, Campbell voters will consider 10 proposed changes to their city charter.
skolnick@vindy.com