County OKs nearly $63 million in appropriations for 2018

By Justin Wier

jwier@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Mahoning County commissioners Thursday approved $62.8 million in appropriations for 2018.

That total includes $34.7 million from the general fund and $28.1 million from the criminal and administrative justice fund.

Departments requested about $67 million for the coming year.

Audrey Tillis, county commissioner’s executive director, said county officials plan to maintain the level of services provided in 2017 through 2018.

In the meantime, she will meet with other county fiscal officers throughout the year to determine how to move forward in 2019.

If nothing changes, the county will lose about $4.5 million in revenue in 2019 from a state tax on Medicaid managed-care organizations.

The state stopped collecting the tax earlier this year but provided counties with transition aid through the end of 2018.

The county received $4.1 million in transition aid for 2018 in addition to $1.1 million provided for the fourth quarter of 2017.

The county included $400,000 in the general fund appropriations and $1.6 million in the justice fund appropriations this year.

The county plans to conserve those funds to cope with future uncertainty, Tillis has said.

Otherwise, 2018’s appropriations mirror appropriations approved in 2017.

Last year, commissioners originally appropriated $34.3 million from the general fund and $28 million from the justice fund for $62.3 million in overall appropriations.

Those numbers were revised to $36.3 million and $29.3 million, respectively, for a total of $65.6 million by the end of the year.

Tillis said the county will make adjustments and use carryover funds throughout the year to maintain services.