Panel: Sales tax may not be enough

The commissioners disagreed over the possible enactment of a sales tax.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- Columbiana County commissioners said the county government may be in a financial crunch even if a 0.5-percent sales tax passes in November.
Their comments came Wednesday during the second of two required public hearings on the proposed tax.
Voters last fall and in May defeated the 0.5-percent tax that brings in about $4 million a year.
Commissioner Chairman Sean Logan said the county's budgetary "comfort zone" is about $18 million to $19 million a year. Commissioners already collect a 1 percent sales tax.
The county won't collect the 0.5-percent this year. Even if voters approve the 0.5-percent tax in November, the county might not receive any revenue until next July.
Logan said the county's recovery from the sales tax defeats could be dragged out even longer if voters approve the tax but county officials have to borrow money to keep the county functioning until tax receipts arrive.
Logan said if the tax passes and the county borrowed $3 million to cover shortages from this year and in 2007 it would have face monthly payments of $50,000.
The chairman said he would make a motion at next week's commissioners' meeting to impose the tax. Logan made the same pledge last week at the first hearing on the tax.
Irresponsibility?
Commissioner Jim Hoppel said he believes voters should decide issues. Commissioner Gary Williams said that imposing a tax rarely works because the public often gathers enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot.
During the 110-minute hearing, the commissioners found themselves criticized on a number of fronts.
The county has not paid its $1 million bill to the Multi-County Juvenile Attention System this year. As a result, the system may close the Louis Tobin Attention Center near Lisbon.
The Rev. John Tully is a Catholic priest who handles parishes in Salineville, Summitville and Dungannon, and who often works with troubled youths. Father Tully said people "see or perceive the county is not operating efficiently."
The county in 2004 opened a new misdemeanor court north of Lisbon. The jail is west of Lisbon.
Father Tully said if the courthouse was built next to the jail, deputies would have to transport prisoners only a few feet instead of driving them back and forth to court.
Ron Springer of Lisbon was critical of a plan to put another flat roof instead of a pitched one the courthouse. Plans by the county's common pleas court judges to fix the roof, renovate the courts and install new heating and cooling ducts were too costly. Springer said the heating and cooling systems could be repaired at a lower cost.
Myron Wehr of New Waterford said if the commissioners don't enact the tax, the county will lose millions of dollars.
Wehr said if commissioners don't enact the tax, they are not being responsible. In that case, Wehr told the commissioners, "I'm not going to vote for you."
wilkinson@vindy.com