Highland County breaks single-month permissive sales tax record

Although Highland County has been on an upward trend of record permissive sales tax receipts since 2020, the county reached a new milestone this month by surpassing $1 million for one month, as announced at Highland County commissioners’ Wednesday, March 25 meeting.

According to the monthly permissive sales tax report, the county collected $1,023,012.91 for March 2026, for a 6.52-percent increase over March 2025 and a 6.22-percent increase in 2026 compared to the same three-month period in 2025.

“Everybody seems to be buying local,” commission president Terry Britton said. “This thing just keeps kind of surprising us, going up every year.”

This is a new record for one month, breaking the previous record set in the same month last year, as the county collected $960,161.96 for March 2025. 

Year to date, the county has already surpassed $2.7 million collected in the first three months of 2026, as the current 12-month record, set in 2025, is $9.8 million.

In other discussion:

• Roy Geiger of VFW Post 9094 and Steph Roland of the VFW Post 9094 Ladies’ Auxiliary met with commissioners to review a proposal by the VFW to add a kiosk to the existing veterans’ memorial next to the Highland County Courthouse.

“All you have to do is key in the names, and then it’ll bring up the location or zone or area where your brick is, rather than having to walk around minutes, hours,” Geiger said. “It’d be easier and quicker.

“That is free, the part about being able to locate your brick. If you would invite to create a profile, which would be $99, you can add pictures, your rank, places where you served or where your loved ones served.”

Geiger and Roland said that the kiosk would require a concrete pad and electricity, plus would need to be wheelchair-accessible. Geiger suggested placing it “on the northwest corner, around where the Army flag is and the brick wall.” 

“There will be some specifications, minor construction that are being required to have this put in,” Roland said. “We’re going to need straight electric. We can't go via the light sensors, what’s set up out there now, and that's something we're definitely going to need you guys’ help to make this happen.”

In response to a question from commissioner David Daniels, Roland said the kiosk is “all weather” but that they were open to suggestions on whether “something more protective” would be needed

Commissioner Brad Roades added that he thought the installation could be “very easily managed.”

Regarding paying for the project, Roland said that the VFW “went after some funding” when they came up with the idea. However, Geiger said that the VFW is accepting donations from the community.

“This is a little expensive,” he said. “It’s around $13,500 to put in, which the VFW will pay for to get the project going.”

In addition, Roland said the service provider charges a monthly fee to maintain the website and kiosk.

Roland told commissioners that they hope to have the kiosk operational by Veterans Day later this year. 

Commissioners thanked them for the update, as Britton said the county was willing to assist. For more information on the project or to contribute, call (937) 393-0211.

• Roades reported that commissioners, along with Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins and Engineer Chris Fauber, met March 23 to look into a recent request by a Hillsboro property owner to consider joining the National Flood Insurance Program.

During their March 23 meeting, Roades said they were able to ask numerous questions about how the program could be implemented locally, should the county decide to do so. 

“We met with Alicia Silverio, and she's the one who kind of runs the flood plain operations in the state of Ohio,” Roades said. He added that they will be reaching out to other counties that are in the program for additional feedback.

Britton said that it would be “hard” to implement the program locally due to the lack of county zoning.

“I know Brad has been working on this for a while, just trying to figure out if we can or can't do this,” Britton said.

• Commissioners asked Collins to look into a request for additional funding from Highland County EMA Director David Bushelman. 

“Because of FEMA and other things being shut down, he was saying he's needing some extra money,” Roades said. “It was a very cordial ask, but he was asking for $50,000 for last year's budget. We typically give 30 [thousand dollars]. It's kind of been the kind of dynamics here, our match to him is per capita.”

“He had $42,746.25,” Britton added. “That was the balance, and then he encumbered $13,300, so he’s still got almost $30,000 in his coffer right now.”

Commissioners said they wanted additional guidance from Collins as well as county auditor Alex Butler before making a decision. 

• Commissioners held a bid opening at 9:15 a.m. for a runway replacement project at the Highland County Airport.

There were three bids, including from Sweet Meadow Farm Drainage LLC, $125,313.90; Jess Howard Electric, $143,735; and Bansal Construction, $164,255.

• At Roades’ recommendation, commissioners tabled action on an $880 quote to rework the county’s maintenance trailer.

According to Britton, this quote is to “get this [trailer] reworked so we can remove the rear tailgates” and load skids of dog food onto the trailer for the pound.

“I would like to make sure that that's going to be the fix that it's going to take to make this work,” Roades said. “I think if we do that, we're still going to have an issue or problem.”

• Commissioners received notice from the state that class C and D liquor permits will expire June 1 and are up for renewal. Daniels asked anyone in the community wishing to comment to do so by April 29.

• Britton said that after seeing success with its implementation at the Job & Family Services agency, the county is “looking into possibly” using the Right Stuff software “countywide” for timekeeping and payroll software.

In addition, he said the county is considering “countywide IT,” pending the results of a poll sent to all of the offices.

Commissioners also made the following other approvals, each by a 3-0 vote:

• An overage agreement contract among commissioners, Quadient and the Clerk of Courts for certified mail solutions.

• A resolution to grant authorization for listed “then and now” purchase orders and authorizing the county auditor to issue warrants for their payment.

• A resolution to rescind Resolution 26-64, passed a week prior, which was authorizing a transfer from 2100 Board of DD to 2195 Multi System Youth Incentive Fund in the amount of $50,000.

• A request from the Board of DD for the creation of the following line item within the 2100 Board of DD fund – Advances Out. Also requested is an additional appropriation from unappropriated funds within the 2100 Board of DD fund in the amount of $50,000.

• A request from the Board of DD for an advance from 2100 Board of DD fund to 2195 Multi System Youth Incentive Fund in the amount of $50,000.

• A resolution for the Sheriff to declare listed items, no longer needed by the County and obsolete, ORC 307-12(A)(1); therefore, the said board declares the listed items to be surplus property and no longer needed by the County.

• An additional appropriation from unanticipated revenue within the 4220 Airport Capital Improvement fund in the amount of $31,403.83.

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