Columbiana Co. tightens economic belt for 2010

By D.a. Wilkinson

LISBON — The Columbiana County commissioners approved 2010 appropriations that are lower than this year’s spending.

The county plans to spend $17.9 million on its general operations next year. The county, however, expects to pay $18.3 million for those costs this year.

The 2010 budget also has no carry-over balance for 2011.

Penny Traina, the president of the commissioners, said Wednesday, “Columbiana County is in line with the devastating economic times the whole nation is facing.”

Commissioner Dan Bing added, “Everyone is broke.”

The county agencies that are routinely cut out of the county budget — including the Cooperative Extension Office and the Soil and Water Conservation District — again did not receive funding.

Traina said county officials she had talked have been “very cooperative” of the belt-tightening.

Traina said the commissioners are concerned about more cuts from the state, such as the local government funds that were trimmed this year because of the state’s budget problems.

The local government fund is funded by 3.68 percent of all state general revenue fund tax sources.

She said that state officials are saying that in 2010, local government funds to counties will be at pre-2007 levels.

Commissioner Jim Hoppel said the county has not reached its own final certification of revenue for this year.

As a measure of the economy, the commissioners authorized the county’s Department of Jobs and Family Services to hire Lawrence A. Kosiba, the new executive director of the Sustainable Opportunity Development Center in Salem, which is part of the Salem Area Industrial Development Corp.

Kosiba will use temporary assistance to the needy funds from the state to try to find work in the $10-an-hour range for 10 full-time jobs or 20-part-time jobs. The program’s cost is $154,927 and will end in September, commissioners said.

wilkinson@vindy.com