Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber endorses sales tax

YOUNGSTOWN — The board of directors of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber has endorsed passage of Issue 4, the continuous renewal of Mahoning County’s half-percent sales tax on Tuesday’s election ballot, saying the tax is needed to ensure long-term reliability of county government funding.

Without renewal, that tax would expire Oct 1, 2010. Each of the county’s two half-percent sales taxes generates about $14 million in annual revenue for the general fund, which is the county’s main operating fund.

The general fund supports the sheriff’s and prosecutor’s offices, the courts, the board of elections, 911 center, and many other functions. Voters continuously renewed the county’s other half-percent sales tax in 2007.