Projections include unpaid bills

A payment issue was resolved, revealing a higher balance than expected.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- Columbiana County commissioners say better finances have reduced the county's projected 2006 deficit.
The commissioners said Wednesday that a variety of factors went into the new calculations.
Voters in November and May rejected a 0.5-percent sales tax that brings in about $4 million a year. The issue will be on the November ballot.
Commissioners Jim Hoppel and Gary Williams estimate that the county may have a year-end balance of $600,000 to $1.2 million with some unpaid bills.
Commissioner Sean Logan's more conservative estimates indicate the county may have about a $500,000 carryover with unpaid bills. The county needs a balance to fund operations at the start of each year until taxes are collected.
Both forecasts are based on the idea that the county will not pay $1.1 million to $1.3 million in bills for 2006. That includes about $800,000 the county expects to owe CiviGenics Inc., the company that runs the county jail, and about $172,000 to the Multi-County Juvenile Attention System.
"Without the half-percent tax and the $4 million it brings in puts us in a difficult situation," Williams said.
But the estimates indicate that most county offices won't be reducing hours or closing operations this year.
Hoppel said the estimates indicate the county's financial picture, "may be getting a little better."
A number of factors went into the calculations. The county ended 2005 with a recent record balance of $1.8 million. The county ended 2003 with $272,869 and ended 2004 with $482,596.
Logan said the county has an additional $346,000 in funds from 2005 that have not been spent. Officials tried to limit spending in case the 0.5 percent sales tax was defeated.
Accounting problem
Officials have also resolved a problem with payments made with a new accounting program. Payments were not being made to specific line items as required. The problem came to light when officials noticed some revenue sources were off, one by more than 60 percent. After the payments were sent to the right accounts, the county discovered it had $200,000 more than records showed.
Logan also prepared budget figures for 2007 under two different scenarios. One calls for payments to offices that contribute revenue and legally mandated offices, such as common pleas court, that can file lawsuits to get operating funds. The second calls for money to fully fund the contributing offices, the sheriff's office and the board of elections.
Under Logan's first scenario, the common pleas courts would get $691,191 in 2007. That's the same amount appropriated for them this year.
Under the second scenario, the courts would get $342,865 to operate in 2007.
wilkinson@vindy.com