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Mahoning sales tax rejected
Photo: Geoffrey Hauschild
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- General Election 2009
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- Complete election news
- Mahoning sales tax rejected
- Voters favor 3 of 4 levies
- Election night bad for school board incumbents
- Voters favor 3 of 4 levies
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- MAHONING TRUSTEES Polls unkind to many incumbents
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- In Liberty Twp., 2 incumbents reflect on losses
- Changes sought for Ohio casino plan
- Residents in Austintown, Canfield vote for change
- Provisional ballots could tip balance in 5 races
- Mahoning officials unite for vote in May
- Columbiana ballot issue language disputed
- Trustees-elect in Boardman focus on frail finances
- Lame-duck mayor of Campbell: ‘I’ve accomplished a lot’
Chairman Traficanti says commissioners will try the issue again in May. The CSB and library levies passed.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County sales-tax renewal failed, but children services and library renewal levies easily passed Tuesday by margins of about 2-1.
“We tried our best, but we’re going to put it back on in May as a renewal,” Commissioner Chairman Anthony T. Traficanti said as it became apparent the sales tax was going down to defeat Tuesday evening.
“Quite frankly, the way the ballot language read, as an additional tax, who in this economy would vote for an additional tax? And we’re definitely going to make sure that this does not happen in May,” he said at a subdued gathering of sales-tax supporters at Rachel’s in Austintown.
The measure on the ballot was a continuous renewal of the county’s 0.5 percent sales tax, which was Issue 4.
The county commissioners put the sales tax on the ballot as a continuous measure to ensure long-term reliability of county government income, Traficanti said.
Voters renewed the county’s other half-percent sales tax on a continuous basis in May 2007.
The confusion over ballot language likely hurt the tax, especially in early absentee voting, he said.
“The campaign begins tomorrow, and we’ll take the message back out to the people, but we want to definitely make sure that the ballot language says renewal,” he added.
The May election will be the last chance for passage to ensure uninterrupted collection of the tax, which expires Sept. 30, 2010, he said.
Traficanti noted that cutbacks, concessions and layoffs already have occurred in county government.
He said he’d have to discuss with his fellow commissioners, David N. Ludt and John A. McNally IV, whether any new cuts must immediately be made. “Cuts are ongoing. I don’t want to predict too much,” he said.
Each sales tax raises about $14 million annually for the county’s general fund, which is its main operating fund. The sales tax is the largest source of general-fund revenue.
Because of the recession, the county auditor projects this year’s general-fund revenue to be $59 million, compared with $67 million last year.
Dependent on the general fund are the sheriff’s department, prosecutor, courts, 911 center, elections board and many other county departments.
Some county officials, including Traficanti and county Prosecutor Paul J. Gains expressed concerns last month that incorrect ballot language could hurt the outcome of the sales-tax vote.
Traficanti, Gains and Commissioner David N. Ludt were angry that the ballot language said the tax would provide “additional general revenues.”
The board of elections suspended a clerk, Danielle O’Neill, for five days without pay for failing to follow board policy of submitting the ballot language to the commissioners and Gains for their review.
The elections board suspended O’Neill’s boss, Elections Director Thomas McCabe, for three days without pay over the matter.
Those suspensions will take effect in late November, after Tuesday’s election results are officially certified.
O’Neill failed to send ballot language to any political entity with a tax issue on Tuesday’s ballot.
The Ohio Secretary of State’s office certified the ballot language as an accurate reflection of the resolution passed by the commissioners and written by the county prosecutor’s office for the sales-tax issue.
The sheriff’s department is investigating to see if any criminal activity occurred with the failure to submit the ballot language to the commissioners and Gains.
Referring to Section 3505.14 of the Ohio Revised Code, Traficanti said state law clearly required submission of the proposed ballot language to the commissioners in advance of the election.
Officials of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County were also concerned ballot language might hurt their 1-mill real-estate-renewal levy because the ballot question (Issue 6) called the library system by its rarely used formal name, the Reuben McMillan Free Library.
However, the ballot language didn’t seem to hurt that levy at all.
“I am extremely appreciative of the people of Mahoning County supporting the library. They obviously love it, which is wonderful. It helps solidify about a third of our budget so we can plan for the future,” library Director Carlton Sears said.
“I think people want us to keep the light on,” he said, echoing the library-levy campaign slogan. “Now we want to make it bright.”
However, he added: “We still have a really big challenge ahead to figure out how to make up for the loss of state funding, so we have to find a way to stabilize the way we operate.”
As to whether voters can expect to see an additional library levy on the ballot next year to fill that gap, Sears said only: “We’re updating a strategic plan, trying to figure out how to have a stable future going forward, and that’s something we’re going to be working on for the next several months.”
The library levy should bring in $3,622,000 annually if 100 percent collections could be achieved. It costs the owner of a $100,000 home about $27 a year. The library system’s budget is $11,715,455 this year.
State funding cuts forced the library system to cut hours by 15 percent in September and to conduct the first known layoffs of staff in its 129-year history. The system, which consists of the main library and 15 branches, laid off 27 employees this year, reducing its staff to 169.
Commissioner John A. McNally IV said the renewal would help the library maintain its reduced level of services.
At 100 percent collections, the Children Services Board five-year real-estate tax renewal (Issue 5) should generate $2,893,000 annually. CSB has $16 million to $17 million in annual expenses.
“We’re very grateful to the voters of Mahoning County, who continued to be supportive of our work with children and families,” said Denise Stewart, CSB executive director.
“When I talk to people about the work that our agency does, they’re aware of the need for our services, and they value and support our work with protecting children in our community,” she added.
Based on 2008 collections, property-tax levy revenues will likely run about 3 percent short of full collections due to delinquencies, the county auditor says.
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Comments
Great picture - just wants to make you vote NO again. Look at them drinking beer and partying on the county's dollar. Just keep saying no county voters - they know how to waste our tax dollars very well.
It wasn't the way it was worded !It's the PEOPLE are tried of these PUBLIC SERVANTS Making more money than the public sector and wasting it. And I agree with UNIONFOREVER about the remark about drinking and partying . I don't know if it was on the Countys nickle or not. I do know that ever Goverment office needs to take cuts in wages along with hourly empolyees. I know it goes against there TABOO ways ! This is only the start just be patience and watch people. They'll squirm like the MAGOTS they are.
Mahoning County's sales tax rate is 6.75%, compared to 6.5% in Trumbull, and 6% in Mercer and Lawrence. This county has to be made competitive with surrounding counties. I won't buy anything in Mahoning County. It's no great suprise why the auto dealers are hurting in Mahoning County. Vote NO, NO, NO!
No excuse for the confusion over ballot language. They had TWO YEARS to prepare for this!! And, although funding from this tax does not benefit the MetroParks, the matter involving its executive director ticked a lot of voters off.
Is this O'Neill girl related to fire chief O'Neill?
There was nothing wrong with the language! I understood EXACTLY what I was voting against! I was voting against the sort of excesses I see all around us in county government.
One small example: I stopped into the county courthouse recently, to take care of some business. And the clerk I was sent to, was busy reading a magazine! (so much for being overworked) Sorry, commissioners! But you need to get rid of the excess baggage!
They thought that making the tax permanent would put the county finances on autopilot. Guess again Commissioners!
Many people supported the last one because they thought it was a 5 year renewal. We won't get fooled Again!
The next thing that needs to be done is get the state legislature to change the PERS system to bring gov't employees retirement and pension benefits more in line with that of the private sector. That would be a great savings state wide, of course nobody wants to touch that hornets nest.
The state legislature needs to pass a law that if a ballot issue fails, they must wait at least one year to place the issue on the ballot again. Essential your NO vote does not matter until they get the outcome they want.
SkyKing310B is correct, the public sector pensions and health care cost will suck the life out of the taxpayers. Billions of dollars are going to be needed to meet the obligations over promised for decades. "Spiking" is the first thing that needs addressed. Changing the retirement age is second and health care contributions is third. The taxpayers demand it.
They tried to hoodwink the people, but they couldn't. The language was not an honest mistake but a calculated one. It didn't matter the May vote will go down with a greater percentage than this one.
To many fat cats in county government (no pun intended)
Theres no misunderstanding. Everyone voted NO because they wanted to, not because of the language. You idiots squander tax dollars and the people finally woke up and said no more! Last time it was no layoffs if it passed. Go tell that to the deputies who lost there jobs. Go tell that to the others that lost their jobs. Go tell that to the communities and police departments that continually bring prisoners to the county jail and get let out hours later because they're "too full" and not enough on staff. BULLS**T! and we had enough!!!!
AKAFR1, at least a year. I was amazed that the one school district in this area had placed (and the taxpayers failed) their levy 6 times in 2 years. What part of no do they not understand? Or do they think they can simply keep beating the taxpayers up and eventually they'll give up?
Photo caption: "I'm just saying that everything tastes better slathered in butter and/or lard. This you cannot argue."
It's never enough ! The insatiable appetite of bureaucracy marches on . Tighten your belts Mr. and Mrs. taxpayer because sooner or later they will have your money .
What is in the purse?
Jeff: I have to agree...very funny!
Why is there a picture of Artie Lange at the top of this article?
I knew what I was voting For........ A TAX DECREASE!!
It was not the wording. It was the fact that it was a permanent tax.
I am glad the sales tax failed. I have always voted yes for the sales tax but not anymore. The last few tax levys the commisioners said if the tax passed they would prevent layoffs. Well the tax passed and they still laid people off. The commisioners are a joke! Its time for some new faces. I refuse to vote for the tax when they are going to have layoffs anyway. They need to learn how to better manage the money they have.
good news I found my "Italian loafers"
This guy bears more than a passing resemblance to Artie Lange, you're absolutely correct.
Actually, the tax was not exactly a renewal--it was new and different because it was to be made permanent. Why in the world are the people at the Board of Elections the only ones to be suspended? They did not draft the resolution. And the criminal investigation is a total joke--I am sure the County Administrator must be behind that deal--anyone who disagrees with him is subject to an effort on his part to make that a criminal offense and because he controls the purse strings, the sheriff and every other agency head has to dance to his tune. Wake up, Mahoning County!!
A reelection doesn't matter for them. Nobody who runs against these guys ever puts any effort into calling them out on their mistakes.
It's the same old story as last year, because even if someone did, the incumbents will do like ol' Wellington in the sheriff's race and have the competition kicked off the ballot when they challenge his easy reelection. Randall made it clear last year: elections are not for competition, they're for making sure you don't lose your nice, cushy job to someone who wants to do something like reduce crime or keep the Mahoning County Jail from reaching capacity. And how can you blame Wellington for taking the risk of not being reelected into his own retirement position? Must be nice to get paid full-time all year while your deputies are taking cuts to less than $20,000/year just to keep their jobs, and your only responsibility is handing out "buckle-up" stickers at the Canfield Fair for a week every year.
Passed out from holding my breath waiting for things to change in Youngstown. My head hit the keyboard, think I have a concussion now.
I was wondering who Artie Lange was . I found his picture .
http://iconvsicon.com/wordpress/wp-conte...
When the first "temporary" tax was foisted on us years ago, it's purpose was to make up for short term problems, which it did and a surplus was short lived till `our commissioners' squandered that. Within a few years and a renewal or two they found we were in need of more money and asked for an additional "temporary" tax. The public said no, now and then only to have services reduced. The first tax became permanent so the commissioners could count on those funds regularly to make a budget that would actually work. And now we are supposed to believe this same old crap again.
The voters are tired of waste and lies', that is the reason for the 'NO VOTE'. Please don't spend any more of my taxes to investigate your wording or the clerk who you are trying to make a scapegoat of.
The commissioners, Gains and Randall are a bunch of poor losers, and it's actions like this that will finally turn them out of office.
NOT COUNTING THEIR INCOMPETANCE.
As a former employee, I have to say that the commissioners really do care about this county, and provide an honest effort. I do feel that things can be run better, but not as long as the current administrator is employed. There's no need for any layoffs as long as he stays. Everyone will eventually quit. He is a financial genius with the people skills of my dead grandmother. There is no teamwork at the county, it's always one group against another. Until these conspiracy theories and power struggles come to an end, nothing will ever be accomplished. I cant blame the taxpayers for saying THATS ENOUGH. It's a shame how much money was wasted while nothing but law suits were getting resolved. C'mon commissioners, take action and create a team environment. Get this county moving again!
"What in gawd's name is taking so long????!!!!!! Psssssttttt.......By the way, what's in the satchel?"
Whenever a gov't can't pay for "non-essential" services, the taxpayers will always see a tax levy to pay for "Essential Services".
@ubotherme- where have you been? I missed our conversations on how to get rid of the Witches of East-Boardman.