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Uncertainty fills county budgeting
YOUNGSTOWN
The 2012 budgeting process for Mahoning County is filled with uncertainty.
John A. McNally IV, chairman of the county commissioners, said he hopes the commissioners will adopt a budget Dec. 15.
He said Tuesday, however, he’s not sure whether the commissioners will set the general-fund budget at $47.9 million — the amount of 2012 revenue certified by the county budget commission — or add to that amount the $3.1 million carry-over from 2011 to 2012, which the county auditor’s office is projecting.
“I don’t know where we’re going to budget at right now,” McNally said after a joint meeting of the county commissioners and the budget commission.
McNally said he has confidence in the $3.1 million carry-over projection.
County Prosecutor Paul J. Gains said he isn’t sure whether the budget commission has the legal authority to raise the certification it made in September above the $47.9 million level before Jan. 3, when the county will know the true carry-over amount.
The budget commission is made up of Gains, county Treasurer Daniel R. Yemma and county Auditor Michael V. Sciortino.
In the interim, Gains suggested the commissioners could adopt a first-quarter 2012 temporary budget this month and then adopt a full-year budget early next year, when the county’s financial position becomes clearer.
“A temporary budget’s an accounting nightmare,” countered Barbara J. Sours, budget director.
“It created an appearance of a crisis that didn’t exist,” Gains said of the conservative 2012 revenue estimate the budget commission made in September. “The carry-over was not considered in September, but it exists.
“I just want to make sure that there are sufficient funds, that we’re not losing any more employees and cutting back on any more services than necessary,” Gains said.
Thirty-seven county deputy sheriffs are on layoff.
“I looked at the certification and I said: ‘This is a death sentence for Mahoning County. There is no way that we can balance a budget on $47 million. I think it’s underestimated,’” said county Commissioner Anthony T. Traficanti.
County commissioners must prioritize 2012 spending because departmental budget requests total more than $67 million, and the county commissioners will be limited to somewhere between $47.9 million and $51.1 million if the carry-over takes place.
In fall 2010, the budget commission certified $49.5 million in general-fund revenue for 2011, but that number was later revised to permit the current authorized spending for this year of $53.9 million.
The general fund is the county’s main operating fund.
During the meeting, Carol McFall, chief deputy county auditor, presented a report predicting real estate tax revenues for the general fund at $7.2 million in both 2011 and 2012, but transferring $4 million out of those collections to a debt-service fund in 2012.
McFall projected sales-tax revenues at $29.4 million this year and at $29 million in 2012.
She added she has already been told by state officials state funding will drop from $4.8 million this year to $3.3 million next year.