Officials find out state to cut more than $360K

By D.a. Wilkinson

Other county political subdivisions will take a similar funding cut.

LISBON — Columbiana County commissioners learned that the state plans to cut the county’s share of local government funding.

The local government fund is composed of portions of state taxes and funds that are distributed to counties and communities.

County Auditor Nancy Milliken notified the commissioners Wednesday the local government funds will be $363,251 less than expected this year for county government. That’s an estimated 15 percent drop in the projections.

The other subdivisions in the county also will see their funding cut by the same percentage.

Milliken said she and other municipal auditors had just met with a representative from the state auditor’s office who indicated that there may be another cut in the local government funding.

State officials are trying to cope with reduced funds because of the poor economy. State lawmakers and the governor also are still trying to put together a two-year spending budget.

The county, cities, villages and townships in the county agreed many years ago to a formula to distribute the money.

Each entity, from Summitville with a population of 108, to East Liverpool, the county’s largest city with a population of 13,089, gets $15,000. The rest is distributed based on population.

The auditor’s office did not have a total of the amounts the other subdivisions will receive at the latest lower rate from the state.

The commissioners, along with Milliken, have been watching funding carefully this year.

Penny Traina, the president of the commissioners, said it’s difficult to put together and follow the funding expectations when the federal, state and local governments are on different calendars.

The county budget runs from January to December, the state budget runs from July to June, and the federal government budget runs from October to September.

“It’s been a very frustrating part of the job” as commissioner, she said.

Commissioner Jim Hoppel said the county was at 50 percent of its spending this year. The sales taxes collections have remained steady. “We’re pretty much on target,” Hoppel said.

wilkinson@vindy.com