Post-election priorities: cutting costs and working together

When the votes were counted, the margin of victory for the renewal of a half-percent sales tax in Mahoning County was surprisingly comfortable.

No county officials should take the 2-to-1 margin as a license to get comfortable in the way that county tax dollars are being spent. Rather, they should remember that just last November voters rejected renewal of the tax, and it will be coming up again in five years.

As we said two weeks ago when we endorsed Issue 3 in Mahoning County, even with renewal of the tax, county offices are going to have to walk a budgetary tightrope. That’s what is expected, especially at times such as these.

Mahoning County’s three commissioners and George Tablack, the county administrator and budget director, have acknowledged that. They’ve put officeholders on notice that they’ll be held to the tight budgets they’ve been given for the year.

And, even with renewal of the tax, revenues will continue to lag because the economy is, at best, in recovery. Until it fully recovers, people will be spending less. The sales tax, which provides about two thirds of the county’s general fund revenues, will produce less.

Showing restraint

The commissioners also face a challenge in enforcing budget cuts on some county officials, especially those judges who view the Ohio Supreme Court as their ultimate refuge in financially stormy times. And the commissioners face a public relations problem with county residents who do not fully grasp that some departments such as the engineer’s office, are not part of the general fund. They enjoy budgetary autonomy.

Salaries and benefits that voters perceive to be unduly generous in any department can create a backlash at election time.

Nonetheless, most of the officeholders and employees at the administration building, courthouse and various annexes seem to realize that Tuesday’s vote has not provided them with a ticket to Fat City.

In addition to the budget, commissioners will face another challenge in 2011 — a veteran will be leaving and there will be a new face on the board, most likely Carol Rimedio-Righetti, who defeated three-term Commissioner David Ludt in the Democratic primary.

In her victory speech Tuesday night, Rimedio-Righetti said she wants “to relieve all the gridlock” in county government and “bring everybody to the table together.”

Potential conflicts

That is a noble sentiment, but time will tell how it works out. The most contentious issue in the county in recent years was the purchase of the old Southside Medical Center from Forum Health and its conversion into a county office complex. That issue created a split, with Ludt and Commissioner Anthony Traficanti in favor of what is now known as Oakhill Renaissance Place, and Commissioner John McNally opposed.

In her Vindicator interview before the election, Rimedio-Righetti stated that she disagreed with board majority on the Oak Hill project. It will be interesting to see how her desire to relieve gridlock and bring everybody together works out as the moving of additional county offices into Oak Hill comes due. Likewise it will be interesting to see the position she takes as a county commissioner regarding Youngstown’s responsibility to pay for the housing of prisoners in the county jail. Or the need for court consolidation. As a member of city council she opposed both the city’s payment of a prisoner co-charge and the elimination of one of Youngstown’s three municipal judgeships.

And, finally, during her interview, Rimedio-Righetti suggested that the present commissioners have delegated more than an appropriate amount of responsibility to Tablack. While we have had our disagreements with Tablack from time to time, the county would likely be in a more difficult economic position today if it were not for his expertise and guidance.

Given those potential areas of disagreement (and some we can’t even imagine), the table could be an interesting place when everyone gathers round. Everyone there is going to have to remember that the taxpayers come first.