Health Department seeking levy for cancer detection

STAFF REPORT

LISBON — The Columbiana County Health Department is now in compliance with campaign spending reporting requirements, Kim Meek, the director of the county board of elections, said Friday.

The county health department is seeking a replacement levy for its cancer-detection program on Tuesday’s ballot.

If approved, the levy would raise $238,000 a year for 10 years, according to election information from the county auditor’s office.

Wesley Vins, the county’s health commissioner, said that the department over the years had about $6,000 in donations to the cancer program. Some of the money was used to print and mail supporting literature to voters. No public money was used, Vins said.

However, department officials did not report the expenditure to the board of elections, as is required. Vins estimated that about $1,000 was spent.

Meek said that post-elections reports should have details on how much was spent.

Since the cancer-testing program began, it tested 54,026 people and discovered 4,116 potential problems. Those patients were referred for more tests.