Several county-wide tax requests on November ballot

YOUNGSTOWN

Despite what it will say on the ballot, the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County is not seeking a tax increase.

In fact, if its levy request on November’s ballot is

approved, it will result in a tax cut of about 11 percent, said Janet Loew, library spokesperson, communications and public relations

director. The confusion is due to state law about how the levy must be presented.

The library previously had two levies and is choosing to let one of them for 1 mill expire, she said. The library now seeks renewal of its 1.8-mill levy with a 0.6-mill

addition to it. The result is an overall tax decrease for the library of 0.4 mill.

“We couldn’t do anything about the language,” Loew said, which states only that the 0.6 mill is an addition — without mentioning the overall cut.

The library is concerned that people will mistakenly consider the levy to be a tax increase, she said.

“We did it this way because it would be better for the taxpayer, allowing them to keep the rollback the state gives them,” Loew said.

Another countywide initiative is Mahoning County’s requested renewal of a 0.5 percent sales tax with a 0.25 percent new additional sales tax that would go toward funding the county’s criminal justice system. Those funds could be used only to pay county prosecutors, sheriff’s office, 911 and coroner, said David Ditzler, chairman of the commissioners.

“This is what keeps the jail running,” he said. “Without this, the sheriff’s office wouldn’t be able to keep up the services it currently provides.”

The final countywide ballot issue is for Mahoning County Children Services.

Read more about the measures in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.