General fund revenues are up, auditor says

The return of federal
inmates boosted revenues.

YOUNGSTOWN — Mahoning County’s general fund revenues were up substantially last year compared with the year before, according to Michael Sciortino, county auditor.

Revenues in that fund were $62,998,864 last year, up $10,232,682 from the previous year. Sales tax revenue grew by $613,501, amounting to a 2.23 percent gain over 2006, he told the county commissioners at their Monday reorganizational meeting.

The general fund is the county’s main operating fund. Most of its revenue is derived from two 0.5-percent sales taxes, each generating about $14 million in annual income. The voters renewed one of those taxes last May.

A significant source of new revenue last year was the $940,949 the county received from the federal government for housing federal prisoners in the county jail at the rate of $68.84 per inmate per day. “I anticipate a much larger number in 2008,” Sciortino said.

After a two-year hiatus, the county resumed housing federal prisoners May 23, 2007. The return of revenue-generating federal prisoners was one of the key elements in funding full reopening of county jail facilities, which was achieved last year.

The full reopening was part of the settlement of a federal class-action lawsuit by inmates, who successfully contended that jail crowding violated their constitutional rights.

General fund expenditures were $59,114,017 last year, up 4.9 percent from $56,359,641 in 2006, Sciortino reported.

The cash balance in the general fund was $6,537,066 as of Dec. 31, 2007, compared with $2,652,330 a year earlier, for a gain of $3,884,736.

“We all need to continue to search for opportunities to bring outside monies by way of grants,” to the county, Sciortino told the commissioners.

The commissioners decided to continue to hold their regular weekly meetings at 10 a.m. Thursdays in the county courthouse basement, with additional meetings, if necessary, at 10 a.m. Tuesdays. Commissioners voted for Anthony Traficanti to continue as board president and John McNally as vice president.