Highland County commissioners discuss financial matters, HCCS levy; state provides solar update

Highland County commissioners David Daniels, Brad Roades and Terry Britton heard several financial updates and also officially approved a third attempt at a tax levy for the Highland County Children Services agency during their Wednesday, July 24 meeting.

Highland County Auditor Alex Butler reported a “pleasant surprise” on the monthly permissive sales tax receipt report, as the county’s July 2024 total was $879,745.16. That total is a 14.5-percent increase from July 2023 ($767,858.19), Butler said, and reflects “economic activity from May” of this year.

It is also the second-highest monthly total this calendar year (behind March, $889,269.01) and is almost $60,000 higher than last month ($819,806.61 in June).

“That is a pleasant surprise,” Butler said. “Our year-to-date total, we are 4.8-percent ahead of where we were this time last year.”

With this month’s totals, the county has surpassed $5.6 million, with $5,656,696.23 collected through July. For the entire 12-month period of 2023 — which was a record high for the county, for a fourth straight year — the county collected $9,394,398.30.

In another financial report, Highland County Treasurer Vickie Warnock conducted an investment advisory committee meeting with commissioners to review the second quarter for 2024.

The June 2024 totals, as presented by Warnock, included:

• STAR Ohio: $30,006.97 interest, currently at a 5.44-percent interest rate, with a $6,744,561.90 balance;

• STAR Plus: $11,102.22 interest, 4.05-percent interest rate, $3,404,994.01 balance;

• Fifth Third (CDs): $40,506.42 interest, 2.65-percent average interest rate, $11,115,987.12 balance;

• Checking account: $38,972.34 interest, 5.2-percent interest rate, $10,825,000.62 balance; and

• ICS account: $76,920.21 interest, 5.43-percent interest rate, $16,512,044.36 balance.

For the month, Warnock reported a total of $197,508.16 in interest collected, and their annual interest for the first half of the year is $1,221,105.49.

At the last committee meeting in April, Daniels had asked for an update on their Fifth Third Bank CDs, which Warnock provided Wednesday.

“We did have three CDs that had come due here recently that because they were three years, four years old, they were paying .45 percent and .60 percent,” Warnock said. “I did reinvest $400,000 of that — $200,000 in a CD for 4.75 percent, and $200,000 in a CD for 4.85 percent for two years.”

The third CD was put in a money market account at 5.2 percent, according to Warnock.

“We have four more CDs coming due in November,” Warnock said. “That is ranging anywhere from 1.63 percent to .65 percent. Hopefully by the time those come due, we can reinvest them into something that's paying at least four percent by that time. Then we also have two that will be coming due in December, one that the interest rate is .85 percent and one that is one percent.”

Warnock added that Fifth Third advised that “they are expecting one to two rate cuts between September and December, so they are looking for rates to start going down,” but that they would still “be looking at close to four percent” when it’s time to reinvest at the end of this year.

Otherwise, Warnock said she thinks they are “doing good” and don’t need to make any changes at this time.

In other financial matters, commissioners continued budget talks with department heads throughout the rest of the day Wednesday. They were scheduled to meet with the sheriff, auditor, Soil & Water Conservation District, Clerk of Courts and Municipal Court.

In other discussion:

• One week after passing an initial resolution, commissioners officially voted 3-0 Wednesday to approve a resolution for a proposed Highland County Children Services tax levy renewal for the Nov. 5 ballot.

“We’ve got the numbers that came back,” Daniels said. “This is a renewal, so it does not change the tax, the collected rate, so your taxes will not go up if this is passed.”

As previously reported, commissioners approved a resolution “declaring it necessary to levy a tax and requesting an estimate from the Highland County Auditor” for Children Services at their July 17 meeting.

According to Highland County Job & Family Services Director Jeremy Ratcliff, the agency will place a five-year, 0.9-mill renewal levy on the ballot for the Nov. 5 general election, as they are “on pace for $4.1 million” in placement costs this calendar year. Of that $4 million, the levy would help offset “about 17 percent of what we need,” Ratcliff said July 17.

As previously reported, a proposed five-year, one-mill replacement levy for the agency failed in the Nov. 7, 2023 general election. A subsequent attempt to return to the previous 0.9 millage, through a levy issue on the March 19 primary ballot, was also voted down.

Also approved were two other resolutions for Children Services, as well as two contracts for Job & Family Services:

— A transfer of funds from Child Support Enforcement Administration, 2015 to Public Assistance Fund, 2050 in the amount of $28,121.03 for 2024 Child Support shared cost;

— A transfer of funds from Children Services Account, 2115 to Public Assistance Fund, 2050 in the amount of $100,000 for 2024 Child Support shared cost distribution; and

— Two purchased service contracts among commissioners, HCDJFS and Highland County Community Action Organization, one for the OWF-SNAP Job Club and one for a Community Case Manager. According to Ratcliff, this will be the third year for both contracts.

• Although not discussed in open session, it was noted under correspondence that Ohio Power Siting Board community liaison Juliana Graham-Price sent an update on area solar projects to commissioners July 18.

As previously reported, held a virtual conference with OPSB representatives during their Wednesday, July 10 meeting, following the Power Siting Board’s June 20 ruling that New Market Solar violated minimum setback requirements.    

As of that meeting, OPSB executive director Michael Williams told commissioners that the answers to their questions about the impact on project timelines were mostly unknown, pending a call between New Market Solar and the OPSB scheduled later on July 10 as well as any potential filings by the solar developers.

According to Graham-Price’s July 18 email, the OPSB and the New Market Solar developers are working “on a possible resolution of the ongoing litigation that would enable the project to remediate setback issues and fully operate the facility in a timely manner.

“These discussions are ongoing,” Graham-Price wrote. “We expect to update you soon on the next steps in the case.”

In other solar project updates, construction is continuing on the Willowbrook project in Highland and Brown counties is also under construction. According to Graham-Price, “no complaints were filed during this quarter” according to a report filed July 5.

“We have been notified that there is an issue with the main transformer, and it will be 6-18 weeks before replacement parts are received,” Graham-Price wrote. “Although the project is not working at full capacity, they are trying to find ‘workarounds’ so testing and commission can continue since the project has not yet achieved COD [Commercial Operation Date] status.”

Another facility under construction is the Dodson Creek project in Hamer and Dodson townships, and Graham-Price said that they reached out to developers and were told that “construction is on schedule and is expected to be completed in early 2025.”

They are also looking into a report of an alleged fish kill in a neighboring pond, Graham-Price said.

“We are coordinating an investigative response with the project and Ohio EPA,” Graham-Price wrote. “To date, the project’s initial investigation refutes any causal relationship between construction and the fish kill, instead suspecting water temperatures and aeration issues. We expect to provide an update on the investigation’s progress in the next month.”

There was nothing new to report on the 300 MW Highland Solar project, located in Clay and Whiteoak townships, nor on the 200 MW Palomino solar project in Union and Dodson townships, according to Graham-Price.

• Daniels reported that the commissioners office has been contacted regarding the potential establishment of a suicide fatality review committee.

“We have not done that, to the best of my knowledge, but we were advised that we had the ability to do that,” Daniels said. “We will take that under advisement and consideration.”

According to correspondence received by the commissioners’ office, the suggestion was first made by Highland County Health Commissioner Jared Warner, who pointed out that Highland County had 19 confirmed suicide deaths between 2020-22. Warner said that Highland County’s Suicide Prevention Coalition has been discussing how the county could implement “a formal Highland County Suicide Fatality Review Committee.

“This Suicide Fatality Review Committee would work very similarly to our existing Child Fatality Review Board that meets annually to review child deaths and identify common trends and potential preventative steps that we could take collectively to reduce child deaths,” Warner wrote. “This Suicide Fatality Review would approach suicide prevention in the same way, looking for trends, common contributing factors, mental health and healthcare gaps in service and other areas that could potentially be addressed to reduce suicide rates in Highland County.”

According to Warner, under the Ohio Revised Code, it is up to the commissioners “to establish this” committee and that Warner can be “appointed to organize” the group and “identify and invite” members. He volunteered to work with Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins to draft a resolution if commissioners “agree that this would be something beneficial to the county.”

Paint Valley ADAMH Executive Director Melanie Swisher also emailed a response, saying she was “so pleased” with the idea.

“I have seen the suicide fatality review boards be a successful way of identifying suicide prevention strategies in other counties,” she wrote. “The residents of Highland County will benefit from this effort.”

(Editor’s note: If you are feeling suicidal, talk to someone. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. Call or text 988. The Lifeline is available for everyone and is free and confidential.)

• Commissioners approved a second housing agreement for inmates at the Highland County Justice Center, with this contract being with the Highland County Sheriff, Jackson County Sheriff and Jackson County Commissioners. On July 10, commissioners approved a similar agreement with Pike County.

• Highland County mobility manager Carl Rayburn told commissioners that FRS Transportation’s “Saturday service is holding steady,” as they are averaging 70-plus trips each week on Saturdays.

“We continue trying to grow that and get more and more people aware,” he said. “It’s doing well and growing, and we're happy with that, seeing how it just started at the end of April.”

For more from Wednesday’s meeting, see the story at: https://highlandcountypress.com/news/residents-share-concerns-highland-….

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