County sees dip in sales tax revenue
Lead Summary
By
Rory Ryan-hcpress@cinci.rr.com
While the village of Greenfield enjoyed good news this week on its income tax collections, the news on tax receipts were less favorable to the county.
Highland County Commissioners Shane Wilkin, Tom Horst and Jeremy Shaffer received the latest permissive sales tax revenue report from Highland County Auditor Bill Fawley, which was presented at the Nov. 16 commission meeting.
The county saw a decrease of approximately $93,000 in September collections, from the August tax numbers. In August, the county received $482,562.19 in permissive sales taxes. The September collections were $389,651.52. In September 2010, the county collected $426,004.70.
The tax numbers are reported two months in arrears.
“I’ve been worrying about this for the past two years,” Horst said of the declining tax receipts. “We’ll have to watch it as we get to the end of the year. We also have to watch our local government funds.”
When asked by The Highland County Press if any immediate action were anticipated, Wilkin said, “It’s just something that we’ll have to monitor. We had been up (in previous months).”
For the year’s cumulative total, Fawley reported tax collections of $4,851,514.14, compared to $4,749,888.08 through the same period in 2010.
In other business:
• Commissioners discussed a prescription discount program through the National Association of Counties (NACo) which, according to Shaffer, has caused some concerns among local pharmacies.
“I know Tom Black in Lynchburg said this program (drives) business away,” Shaffer said. “From what he said, they get some of his customers.”
The issue centered around mail-order vs. locally purchased prescription medicines.
• Rob Preston from Jani-Chem, Inc. in Leesburg (http://jani-chem.com) had a scheduled meeting with commissioners regarding the bidding and selection process for the county’s janitorial supplies.
“We are a local janitorial supply company, family owned in Highland County for over 20 years,” Preston said. “We would like to know what we could do to get more of the county’s business.”
Preston said Jani-Chem currently has “18 to 19 percent” of the county’s janitorial supply business.
“Traditionally, with products for the county, our maintenance person puts together a list and checks prices for a bulk buy,” Horst said.
Wilkin said the county may get with the sheriff’s office “and put in one big order for the county.”
Fred Boggess, one of six representatives of the Highland County TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party in attendance, asked commissioners: “How much money are we talking about?”
Wilkin replied: “Around $18,000 to $20,000 per year.”
Steve Cowdrey then asked, “Are the other companies local?”
“They’re all over” Wilkin responded.
Preston thanked commissioners for their time and business.
• Commissioners were asked if they anticipated being called to testify in this week’s personnel hearing for former Highland County Board of Developmental Disabilities Superintendent Chuck Biggert. According to Horst and Wilkin, it was not clear, but possibly one or more commissioners and clerk Debbie Sansone may be called.
• Commissioners received a written request from The Highland County Press seeking an explanation on the county’s policy regarding taxpayer-funded legal advertisements. Horst told the HCP that he did not know what the county policy was or if a policy existed, but he would find out.
Copies of changes in Ohio law this year that could help local governments reduce their respective legal advertisements also were provided to the commissioners.
• Commissioners met in executive session regarding negotiations with the Highland County Sheriff's Office employees.
RESOLUTIONS
(All passed by 3-0 votes)
The board authorized an additional appropriation to the General Fund (A-00), Sheriff, from Unappropriated funds to employee salaries for $6,569.13. The additional funds are from the High Visibility Enforcement Grant.
The board authorized the October 2011 mandated distribution of funds from Child Support (C-00) to Public Assistance (H-00) as follows: from Child Support Enforcement Agency, Reimbursement to Public Assistance for $5,976.21.
The board authorized a modification to the General Fund (A00), Board of Elections as follows: from GEMS salary to salary, part-time help, for $2,100.60.
The board authorized a modification to the General Fund (A00), Clerk of Courts as follows: from supplies to telephone service for $500.
The board authorized a modification to the Job and Family Services, Public Assistance budget (H-00) as follows: from: PRC in the amount of $200,000 to: transfers (SS) for $50,000; unemployment compensation (SS) for $50,000 and salary employees (SS) for $100,000.
The 2011 estimated carry-over is $127,259.72 and the 2011 anticipated revenue is $7,031,523.12.
The board authorized a modification to the General Fund (A00), County Miscellaneous as follows: from: unemployment compensation to attorney-indigent fees for $15,000.
The board authorized an additional appropriation to the Sewage Fund budget (P-00) Rolling Acres as follows: from: unappropriated funds to contracts and services for $2,500.
The board authorized an additional appropriation to the Lakeside Subdivision Sewer District budget (P-50) as follows: from: unappropriated funds to contracts and services for $ 2,000.
The board authorized a modification to the Rocky Fork Lake Sewer District budget (P-03) as follows: from: other expenses to new services for $2,500, and from other expenses to equipment for $7,000.
The board authorized an additional appropriation to the Rocky Fork Lake Sewer budget (P-03) as follows: from unappropriated funds to contracts and services for $25,000 for $5,000.
The board authorized a modification to the General Fund budget (A-00) as follows: from Workers' Compensation to professional Services for $2,500, and from Workers' Compensation to maintenance and operations, repairs, for $5,000, and from Workers' Compensation to maintenance and operations, supplies, for $1,000.
The board authorized a modification to the General Fund budget (A-00) and an advance to the Mowrystown Sewer budget (P-02) as follows: from Workers' Compensation to advances out for $5,000.[[In-content Ad]]
Highland County Commissioners Shane Wilkin, Tom Horst and Jeremy Shaffer received the latest permissive sales tax revenue report from Highland County Auditor Bill Fawley, which was presented at the Nov. 16 commission meeting.
The county saw a decrease of approximately $93,000 in September collections, from the August tax numbers. In August, the county received $482,562.19 in permissive sales taxes. The September collections were $389,651.52. In September 2010, the county collected $426,004.70.
The tax numbers are reported two months in arrears.
“I’ve been worrying about this for the past two years,” Horst said of the declining tax receipts. “We’ll have to watch it as we get to the end of the year. We also have to watch our local government funds.”
When asked by The Highland County Press if any immediate action were anticipated, Wilkin said, “It’s just something that we’ll have to monitor. We had been up (in previous months).”
For the year’s cumulative total, Fawley reported tax collections of $4,851,514.14, compared to $4,749,888.08 through the same period in 2010.
In other business:
• Commissioners discussed a prescription discount program through the National Association of Counties (NACo) which, according to Shaffer, has caused some concerns among local pharmacies.
“I know Tom Black in Lynchburg said this program (drives) business away,” Shaffer said. “From what he said, they get some of his customers.”
The issue centered around mail-order vs. locally purchased prescription medicines.
• Rob Preston from Jani-Chem, Inc. in Leesburg (http://jani-chem.com) had a scheduled meeting with commissioners regarding the bidding and selection process for the county’s janitorial supplies.
“We are a local janitorial supply company, family owned in Highland County for over 20 years,” Preston said. “We would like to know what we could do to get more of the county’s business.”
Preston said Jani-Chem currently has “18 to 19 percent” of the county’s janitorial supply business.
“Traditionally, with products for the county, our maintenance person puts together a list and checks prices for a bulk buy,” Horst said.
Wilkin said the county may get with the sheriff’s office “and put in one big order for the county.”
Fred Boggess, one of six representatives of the Highland County TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party in attendance, asked commissioners: “How much money are we talking about?”
Wilkin replied: “Around $18,000 to $20,000 per year.”
Steve Cowdrey then asked, “Are the other companies local?”
“They’re all over” Wilkin responded.
Preston thanked commissioners for their time and business.
• Commissioners were asked if they anticipated being called to testify in this week’s personnel hearing for former Highland County Board of Developmental Disabilities Superintendent Chuck Biggert. According to Horst and Wilkin, it was not clear, but possibly one or more commissioners and clerk Debbie Sansone may be called.
• Commissioners received a written request from The Highland County Press seeking an explanation on the county’s policy regarding taxpayer-funded legal advertisements. Horst told the HCP that he did not know what the county policy was or if a policy existed, but he would find out.
Copies of changes in Ohio law this year that could help local governments reduce their respective legal advertisements also were provided to the commissioners.
• Commissioners met in executive session regarding negotiations with the Highland County Sheriff's Office employees.
RESOLUTIONS
(All passed by 3-0 votes)
The board authorized an additional appropriation to the General Fund (A-00), Sheriff, from Unappropriated funds to employee salaries for $6,569.13. The additional funds are from the High Visibility Enforcement Grant.
The board authorized the October 2011 mandated distribution of funds from Child Support (C-00) to Public Assistance (H-00) as follows: from Child Support Enforcement Agency, Reimbursement to Public Assistance for $5,976.21.
The board authorized a modification to the General Fund (A00), Board of Elections as follows: from GEMS salary to salary, part-time help, for $2,100.60.
The board authorized a modification to the General Fund (A00), Clerk of Courts as follows: from supplies to telephone service for $500.
The board authorized a modification to the Job and Family Services, Public Assistance budget (H-00) as follows: from: PRC in the amount of $200,000 to: transfers (SS) for $50,000; unemployment compensation (SS) for $50,000 and salary employees (SS) for $100,000.
The 2011 estimated carry-over is $127,259.72 and the 2011 anticipated revenue is $7,031,523.12.
The board authorized a modification to the General Fund (A00), County Miscellaneous as follows: from: unemployment compensation to attorney-indigent fees for $15,000.
The board authorized an additional appropriation to the Sewage Fund budget (P-00) Rolling Acres as follows: from: unappropriated funds to contracts and services for $2,500.
The board authorized an additional appropriation to the Lakeside Subdivision Sewer District budget (P-50) as follows: from: unappropriated funds to contracts and services for $ 2,000.
The board authorized a modification to the Rocky Fork Lake Sewer District budget (P-03) as follows: from: other expenses to new services for $2,500, and from other expenses to equipment for $7,000.
The board authorized an additional appropriation to the Rocky Fork Lake Sewer budget (P-03) as follows: from unappropriated funds to contracts and services for $25,000 for $5,000.
The board authorized a modification to the General Fund budget (A-00) as follows: from Workers' Compensation to professional Services for $2,500, and from Workers' Compensation to maintenance and operations, repairs, for $5,000, and from Workers' Compensation to maintenance and operations, supplies, for $1,000.
The board authorized a modification to the General Fund budget (A-00) and an advance to the Mowrystown Sewer budget (P-02) as follows: from Workers' Compensation to advances out for $5,000.[[In-content Ad]]