Openness, accountability must define tax increases

Residents of Mahoning County and the city of Niles have demonstrated their trust in government by approving special taxes in Tuesday’s primary election. The keepers of the public purses have no alternative but to reciprocate.

Mahoning County commissioners, who placed a 1-mill, five-year senior services levy on the ballot, and Niles city officials, who sought a 0.5-percent income tax increase for the safety forces, owe it to the taxpayers to embrace transparency and accountability.

After all, both tax issues were sold to the voters on the basis of need.

In Mahoning County, commissioners Carol Rimedio-Righetti, Anthony T. Traficanti and David Ditzler made the compelling argument that the demand for services from residents 60 years and older grows each year as the county’s senior population increases.

Today, there are 62,000-plus residents 60 years and older out of a total population of 229,484.

Add to that fact the list of about 1,000 seniors waiting for an array of services, and the case for the levy is indisputable.

Commissioners Rimedio-Righetti, Traficanti and Ditzler also won over the electorate by announcing that the reputable Area Agency on Aging 11 would manage the $4.1 million to be generated by the 1-mill levy – with oversight by the commissioners.

During the campaign, Joseph Rossi, chief executive of the agency, and Harry Meshel, former long-time state senator, pledged that 70 percent of the money would be used to provide services such as adult care, home repair and maintenance, medication management and guardianships.

In endorsing the levy, we urged county government and agency officials to make transparency and accountability the underpinnings of the senior-services program.

In that regard, we came out in favor of a citizens advisory council to ensure involvement of county residents in the decision-making process.

The commissioners will also have an appointee to the Area Agency of Aging’s board of directors.

Although 35,974 residents voted for the property tax increase, 29,431 voted against it.

County commissioners and agency officials cannot ignore the reality that a significant number of residents were not swayed by the arguments presented in favor of a program that seeks to help those who, in many cases, are unable to help themselves.

With so many doubters, total transparency is not only advised, but is necessary.

The Area Agency on Aging should provide details on how the 30 percent of the $4.1 million will be spent.

Of particular interest is the payroll that lists the names of the employees and their salaries and benefits.

Taxpayers have long complained about the secrecy surrounding this particular aspect of the public sector.

Expectations in Niles

Likewise, in Niles, Mayor Thomas Scarnecchia, members of city council and the police and fire departments’ hierarchy should commit to letting city residents know how the $2 million that will be generated by the 0.5-percent income tax increase is to be assigned.

The mayor, who pledged to bring back the police officers and others laid off because of the city’s financial collapse, said the passage of the tax hike reflects the public’s desire for police protection and fire safety.

In addition to boosting the safety forces, the new money will also enable the Scarnecchia administration to retain the city’s 911 emergency dispatch center.

In Tuesday’s election, the tax was approved by a vote of 4,148 to 1,871.

That’s an impressive margin and should be viewed as a vote of confidence for the new administration and city government.

In endorsing the tax, we said city officials must reassure a mistrusting public that they can be good stewards of taxpayer dollars.

By being transparent and accountable with regard to the expenditure of the $2 million in new money, the mayor and council will prove to residents that the city has nothing to hide.

Giving the public easy access to the city’s payroll, with the names of employees and their salaries and benefits, should be a top priority.