Mahoning Co. tax map office becomes political football

YOUNGSTOWN — One of the county’s tiniest offices has become the latest political football in Mahoning County’s budget debate.

County Engineer Richard A. Marsico seeks to pass the salary and benefit costs for the three employees of the tax map office, estimated to total $244,000 next year, from his office to the county’s general fund.

“Unfortunately, due to declining revenue, our office finds that we can no longer afford to subsidize the cost of the tax map department,” Marsico wrote in a letter to the county commissioners.

Based on his interpretation of state law, Marsico, who has jurisdiction over the tax map office, said the three employees should be paid out of the county’s general fund.

But George J. Tablack, county administrator, wasn’t eager to be the receiver on behalf of the general fund, which he said has suffered a 15-percent revenue decline in the first 11 months of this year, compared to the same period last year.

Tablack called for a budget hearing to take place on Marsico’s request and for Marsico to compile real estate transaction statistics for the last several years for an analysis of the tax map office’s workload.

“Just looking at our [real estate] conveyance taxes, it’s pretty obvious that the volume of work has declined dramatically,” Tablack said during today’s county commissioner’s meeting.

For the complete story, see Friday's Vindicator and Vindy.com