Mahoning approves ’11 budget

By Peter H. Milliken

milliken@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Mahoning County Commissioners adopted Wednesday a $50.98 million general fund budget for 2011, a 1.4 percent decrease from the $51.72 million budget adopted for 2010.

The new budget is consistent with the $51.4 million in general-fund revenues projected for 2011 by the county budget commission, compared with $53.0 million the commission projected for this year.

That commission, which made the forecast based on the lingering effects of the recession, consists of the county auditor, treasurer and prosecutor.

The general fund is the county’s main operating fund, which pays for central government functions, such as the jail, courts and prosecutor’s office.

The budget for the sheriff’s department, which operates the jail, was pegged at $11.8 million in the 2010 budget the commissioners adopted April 1, but increased to $15.5 million later in the year. Next year’s sheriff’s budget is $13.5 million.

Expenses in the sheriff’s department have been reduced by concessionary labor agreements, the closing of the minimum-security jail and reduced operation of the main jail.

Until May 17, 2010, the county jails were required to operate at full capacity under a federal court consent decree that settled an inmate lawsuit concerning jail crowding. The sheriff’s department has the largest budget in the general fund.

“This will be the first budget in seven years that the county will not be governed by a federal consent order, coupled with the intervention by the city [of Youngstown], which required the county to maintain full capacity in the jail,” said George J. Tablack, county administrator and budget director.

“Our goal is to achieve a more stable operation going forward, now that we can plan and that we govern our own resources,” he added.

The second largest consumer of the general fund is the county’s juvenile court. Its budget rose from $5.5 million for 2010 to $5.7 million for next year.

The prosecutor’s criminal division budget rose from $1.7 million this year to $1,982,000 next year. Prosecutor Paul J. Gains said the increase will compensate for the depletion this year of $300,000 in funding from forfeitures from criminals.

“It’s what the county can afford,” said Gains, who initially sought $2,708,284 from the general fund for his criminal division, saying he needed to pay competitive salaries to retain his staff.

Gains said the nearly $2.7 million figure was what he needed for “optimal performance” and that he never actually expected to get that figure. “We’ll work with what we have,” Gains said.

Gains’ budget for his civil division, which handles county personnel matters and defends the county and its townships from civil lawsuits, will rise slightly from $800,000 to $810,000.

Monies allocated for indigent criminal defense will remain constant at $2,215,000.

The common pleas court budget will rise from $2,030,000 to $2.2 million. “Hopefully, it keeps the court running and functioning at full staff,” said Robert Regula, court administrator.

County officials and community leaders congratulated Commissioner David N. Ludt for his service to the county and community and his military service.

Ludt attended his last meeting Wednesday as a county commissioner, ending 12 years of service in that capacity.

“It’s been a great ride for me. I’ve met a lot of wonderful people. I wouldn’t change a thing,” Ludt said, referring to numerous bridge repair and replacement and sanitary sewer installation projects completed during his time as a commissioner. Ludt received a standing ovation from the audience.

Commissioner-elect Carol Rimedio-Righetti, who will succeed Ludt on Saturday, was in the audience.

Also introduced to the commissioners was Michael S. Senchak, the newly-appointed executive director of the county’s Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board, who takes office Monday at a $65,000 annual salary. Senchak succeeds Doris Primm, who retired in August.

With more than 32 years of experience in health care, Senchak was most recently president and chief executive officer of Mahoning Valley Hospital and had previously been a vice president of Humility of Mary Health Partners.

Senchak holds an associate degree in nursing and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Youngstown State University.

At the ADAS board, Senchak will oversee, plan and coordinate alcohol and drug abuse prevention and trea tment services in the county.