Columbiana County officials are concerned about budget

October 14, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

LISBON

Penny Traina, president of the Columbiana County Commissioners, said the board won’t tell other office holders to keep their 2011 budget requests lean.

That’s because, Traina said Wednesday, the office holders know what they need. “We respect that,” she said.

The general fund for 2011 is expected to be only $17,059,000. The general fund for 2010 is $17,890,000.

Some 66 percent of the county’s budget comes from collecting a one percent sales tax and a half-percent sales tax.

In the last eight months, the county sales taxes were just above what is normally projected.

However, any gains in the sales tax, Commissioner Jim Hoppel said, “can evaporate very quickly.”

The county expects its share of the state’s local government fund for 2011 to be $2 million.

The fund was $2.3 million in 2008, $2 million in 2009, and $2.1 in 2010.

The county could be in trouble if the state cuts revenue to counties.

“We’re very concerned,” Traina said.

Traina said she expected the meetings with office holders will end on Nov. 17. After that, the county will start appropriating funds for offices in 2011.