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McNally

By Peter H. Milliken

milliken@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Mahoning County’s 2012 budget is expected to get a boost next month.

Commissioners adopted an austere $49.6 million general-fund budget for next year, but county Auditor Michael V. Sciortino projected they’ll be able to add to it in January about $3.1 million in expected carry-over from 2011 to 2012.

Although it does not now include any carry-over, the budget adopted Thursday includes an additional $1.7 million in projected revenue certified this month for 2012 by the county budget commission based on increases in sales tax and fee collections, including court fees, in the last quarter of this year.

In the new budget, the commissioners were unable to meet their goal of reopening the two closed prisoner-housing units in the main county jail and recalling from layoff the 18 deputies needed to do that, said John A. McNally IV, chairman of the commissioners.

“That’s something we wanted to do, but the budget needs of a variety of departments interfered with that goal,” McNally said.

New layoffs, “if any, should be minimal” in departments supported by the county’s general fund, McNally added. He noted that costs can be reduced through work-hour reductions, including furlough days, if necessary, as has been done in some county departments in recent years.

“We didn’t budget for raises. We didn’t budget for the filling of vacancies, and we think it’s a no-frills budget this year,” McNally added.

The commissioners were unable to reopen the minimum-security jail for overnight use, and they did not fund the sheriff’s proposed $460,000 indoor firing range.

Sheriff Randall A. Wellington’s budget for 2012 is $14.1 million, well short of the $19.6 million he requested but slightly higher than the $13.7 million allocated to him this year. The sheriff said he’ll actually spend $14.5 million this year.

Next year’s allocation won’t be sufficient to recall any of the 37 laid-off deputies, the sheriff said.

Although sales-tax collections have been improving, McNally said, “that’s offset by significant drops in investment income” and in state funding.

“For the moment, what the departments were allocated today is what they have to live with for next year,” McNally said.

The commissioners initially put only $398,910 into the commissioners’ administration fund for 2012, but they plan to add the expected $3.1 million carry-over to that fund, McNally said.

The administration fund helps the county pay the interest on its debt and pay for unemployment compensation and workers’ compensation.

Early next year, the commissioners plan to give a combined total of $225,000 from that fund to the county extension office and soil and water conservation district, as was provided this year, McNally said.

Juvenile court will get $5.4 million in 2012, which is slightly less than the $5.5 million it requested.

The facilities maintenance department will get $3.2 million; the department requested $3.9 million.

For the 2012 presidential election year, the board of elections will get $2.2 million, far below the $3 million request.

That board will save about $300,000, however, now that the Ohio Legislature has combined two scheduled primaries into one March 6.

“We’re going to push and urge them to really watch all the dollars in this next election cycle,” McNally said.

The veterans’ service commission received its full $2.1 million funding entitlement under state law for 2012.

County Recorder Noralynn Palermo, whose office has been inundated with land-title searchers from the oil and gas industry, said she will be unable to hire an additional deputy recorder since she has received just $377,208, instead of the $412,208 she requested.

Palermo has a staff of six, including herself. There have been no new hires in the office in 11 years, she said.