Thursday, February 22, 2007
Glenn Kountz, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 141, which represents county deputy sheriffs: "We need a continuing stream of revenue in order to move forward in this county. We're one of the biggest counties in the state, and it's time we start acting like it, not just to keep the jail open and to keep the thugs off the street, but to help with the economic development."
Alan Glass of Youngstown: "I'm not going to speak against it. You people have proven -- the judges in the county have proven to me -- you will not work without this. So, while we have everybody running in fear, why don't we put the whole 1 percent on as a continuing tax? People are going to vote for it. They're afraid to leave their homes.''
Audrey Tillis, director of accounting, county auditor's office: "This revenue is not an optional revenue for the general fund. It is an integral part of our budget. ... It is too large for this county to lose."
Richard Marsico, county engineer: "It should be a continuous half-percent tax and eventually a continuous 1 percent so that the county can have a projected long-term plan. A two-year plan does not create any stability. If you're with the highway projects and so on, it takes 10 years."
William Flickinger of Youngstown: "All taxes do is drive companies out of town. The same thing happened with the Youngstown income tax. All you did was drive all the doctors and all the lawyers out of town. ... [Delphi] Packard is going down and General Motors is cutting back. Who's going to pay all these taxes?"
George Tablack, county administrator: "We are at a critical point. We've been at a critical point before, but there's nothing left in the piggy bank."