64% of voters renew sales tax

By D.A. WILKINSON

wilkinson@vindy.com

LISBON

Columbiana County Commissioner Jim Hoppel said Wednesday, “It’s a great day.”

Hoppel was referring to the renewal of the 1-percent sales tax that received almost 64 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s primary election.

“We’re in better shape than yesterday,” he added.

Without the renewal, the county would have lost $8 million in revenue, or about 44 percent of the general fund. The county also collects a 0.5-percent sales tax.

The sales tax was on the ballot last November for a routine renewal when ballot language from the state labeled it as an increase. Voters defeated the issue.

“Without the sales tax, we would not have been able to operate,” Hoppel said.

Sheriff Ray Stone told the commissioners that his office would have been one of the main county offices to take the brunt of cuts if the issue had failed. “We would have been devastated,” he said.

In a related move, the commissioners allowed Stone to give a 2001 sheriff’s cruiser with 131,087 miles on its odometer to the police department in the village of Salineville.

Penny Traina, the president of the commissioners, dubbed the cooperation and support for the renewal from other communities as “Team Columbiana County. “

An economic program designed to help businesses in the county will be Monday in Salem, she added.

The commissioners said they hope that the cooperative spirit will continue.