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Timely & Taxing Debate
The issue can be placed on the ballot as a permanent or limited-time measure.
YOUNGSTOWN — The preferred duration of a Mahoning County sales tax was a major focus among speakers who addressed a standing-room-only crowd of more than 150 people in the second of two hearings on the tax renewal.
The Mahoning County Commissioners listened to county officials and the public at Monday evening’s hearing at the Covelli Centre’s community meeting room in advance of their expected vote to place the sales tax on the May primary ballot.
Commissioners are scheduled to vote at 10 a.m. Thursday to return the half-percent sales tax renewal, which failed in the November election, to the ballot either as a five-year, 10-year or continuous tax.
“I would prefer to see passage of a half-percent continuous tax so that we know where we are, and we know where we’re going to be tomorrow” for long-term budgeting purposes, stability of finances and retention of personnel, said County Prosecutor Paul J. Gains.
“Crime is everybody’s business, so please do not handcuff us in the criminal justice system ... by not giving us the tools to be able to perform our jobs,” Gains urged the commissioners and the voters.
“It needs to be a continuous tax,” agreed Maj. James Lewandowski of the sheriff’s department. “The need for a county jail is not going to sunset in five years,” he added.
Together, the county’s two sales taxes raise about 43 percent of the county’s general fund. Almost 68 percent of general-fund spending goes to the courts and law enforcement, including the county jail.
Also urging a continuous tax was Mayor James Iudiciani of Lowellville. “If we lose $14 million, we might as well close this county down,” he said, referring to the approximate amount of revenue the county receives annually in its general fund from each sales tax.
“I know that the sales tax is needed,” said Mary Ann McCloskey of Boardman. However, she added: “I will never vote for a permanent tax or a 10-year renewal. ... The taxpayers need to have control over our employees,” she added.
“Face reality now, and make the cuts. The voters are ready to shut the county down,” McClos- key warned county officials, adding that concessions by county employees have fallen far short of the sacrifices made by private-sector workers.
“This county needs that sales tax. ... Putting it on continuously, I don’t think is going to fly with the people right now. Right now, everybody is hurting,” said Maggy Lorenzi of Youngstown.
She suggested a five-year renewal. “Maybe in five years, things will improve, and maybe people’s attitudes will improve,” Lorenzi said.
As was the case at last week’s hearing in Canfield, which was attended by about 60 people, also on a snowy evening, a large number of speakers and attendees were county officials or employees.
The May election will be the last opportunity for passage to ensure uninterrupted collection of the tax, which expires Sept. 30. Voters renewed the other half-percent sales tax continuously in May 2007.
The general fund, which is the county’s main operating fund, supports the sheriff’s department, the courts, prosecutor, 911 center, elections board and many other county functions.
The general fund has suffered a recession-induced decline in revenues from $66.2 million in 2008 to $57.5 million last year, with about $57 million projected for 2010.
To balance its general-fund budget this year, the county must sustain the $6 million in employee concessions and other spending cuts it achieved last year and cut an additional $2.5 million to $3 million in spending this year, according to George J. Tablack, county administrator.
Employees paid from the general fund took unpaid floating holidays last year in many departments, including the clerk of courts, treasurer’s, commissioners’ and sheriff’s offices, and the facilities department.
The county government is now functioning on a one-month temporary budget, which the commissioners adopted Dec. 29, while it attempts to negotiate additional concessions from county employees to balance the 2010 budget.