Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Mahoning County Board of Elections is requesting about 1.5 percent more in its 2019 budget than it received this year to prepare for two elections next year.

The county’s juvenile court, which has the largest 2019 general-fund budget request, is seeking .64 percent less than its revised 2018 budget, as a philosophical shift in juvenile justice lessens the need for manpower.

Heads of both departments met Friday morning with the county commissioners to review their 2019 requests.

The elections board is requesting $2,380,287 next year – $36,108 more than it received this year.

“Normally, they go down in an off year,” said Audrey Tillis, the commissioners’ executive director, but the board factored two elections into its 2019 budget, including the May primary, when the county’s five-year, sales-tax levy comes up for renewal.

The board also has budgeted for a special election should the need arise.

The board expects to receive $2 million from the state next year to install new voting machines and replace voting poll books.

The juvenile court requested $6,694,108 for 2019, or about $43,000 less than it received in 2018.

Judge Theresa Dellick and court Administrator Wes Skeels said the court’s shift toward behavioral programming rather than juvenile detention has seen success in reduced detentions and juvenile felony cases.

When Judge Dellick took the bench in 2001, she said the county had more than 100 students in detention. That number is down to about 10 this year. There also were more than 2,000 felony cases in 2001, now down to about 500 this year.

Skeels said the court used to employ three full-time parole officers and now only needs one half-time officer.

The court’s repair and maintenance costs are expected to rise at the 1979-built Martin P. Joyce Juvenile Justice Center, Skeels said. Next year, commissioners will look to replace the roof on the center, located on East Scott Street, Tillis said.