Commissioners encourage residents to support sales tax renewal
LISBON — Columbiana County Commissioner Mike Halleck on Wednesday encouraged residents one last time to support the 1 percent sales tax on Tuesday’s ballot.
“It is a renewal,” he said.
In place for many, many years, the 1 percent sales tax accounts for a large portion of the county general fund used to operate the sheriff’s office, the courts and most of the offices in the downtown courthouse. Commissioners past and present have kept the 1 percent sales tax as a five-year deal with residents, asking for renewal every five years.
Earlier this month, Commissioner Tim Weigle clarified for voters the fact that the 1 percent sales tax question on the Nov. 5 ballot is indeed a renewal, despite the ballot language not saying it’s a renewal. The language on the ballot was written by the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office and does not spell out that this a renewal being sought for a tax that’s already in place.
As of Tuesday afternoon, according to county Board of Elections Director Kim Fusco, the number of ballots already cast so far in Columbiana County was 15,440, which represents 23 percent of the registered voters. Out of those 15,440 ballots, 8,344 had been cast in the county Board of Elections office during in-office early voting, with the rest of the absentee ballots coming through the mail.
In-office early voting will continue through Sunday. Hours from now until then include: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. today and Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
In other election-related business, Commissioner Roy Paparodis reported that the Ohio and Pennsylvania departments of transportation have been picking up political signs on the right-of-way of state routes. He said locally, the signs would be at the ODOT garage on U.S. Route 30 outside Lisbon.
“If you want your signs, that’s where they are,” he said.
The commissioners also announced a change in their meeting date next week. Instead of meeting Wednesday, they will meet at 9 a.m. Nov. 5, which is Tuesday and also Election Day. The meeting the week of Christmas will be held at 9 a.m Dec. 27 since Christmas falls on Wednesday.
In other business, commissioners accepted the second addendum for bid proposals for a proposed rehabilitation project on South Broadway Avenue in Salem, delaying the bid opening until 9 a.m. Nov. 13. The Community Development Block Grant project at 145-165 S. Broadway Ave., Salem, is being overseen by the Columbiana County Port Authority, which is administering a $250,000 grant from the Target of Opportunity Program toward the cost, with the owner required to put up more than half a million dollars for the project.
The commissioners also designated the Community Action Agency of Columbiana County as the grantee for Rural Public Transit in the county and approved load limit reductions on specified county roads for the winter, a practice referred to as frost laws.
At the request of Columbiana County Board of Developmental Disabilities Superintendent Bill Devon, the commissioners reappointed William Reiner of Wellsville and Larry Merriman of East Liverpool to new terms on the board and appointed Stephen Beadnell of East Liverpool and Michael Newman of Salem to terms on the board. Newman will be the first client with developmental disabilities to serve on the board.
The commissioners also voted to continue the Enterprise Zone Agreement with Fairfield Avenue Leasing in Columbiana for another year, based on the recommendation of the City of Columbiana Tax Incentive Review Council. County Economic Development Director Tad Herold explained that the enterprise zone is through the county, giving the company a 10-year tax abatement if the property is improved and a certain number of people are employed. He said the terms are all negotiated. The review council is chaired by county Auditor Nancy Milliken and the plan must be reviewed every year. Jamie Poppelriter of the auditor’s office stood in for Milliken at the recent meeting and reported to commissioners along with Herold. The 10-year agreement expires Dec. 31, 2025.
mgreier@mojonews.com