The clock is ticking for the Madison School Board to get on next year's ballot to again seek approval of a bond issue to rebuild its campuses and a separate operating levy to halt deficit spending.
We haven't passed any new money in 20 years, and the deficit levy has nothing to do with the school construction project
The five-member school board saw 2007 voters reject a combined $33.6 million (4.81-mill) bond issue for reconstruction and a 0.5-mill, 23-year operating levy to avoid school financing deficits
The Board of Lake County Commissioners has both quasi-legislative and quasi-administrative powers and through resolutions adopted during their regular weekly meeting, sets the administrative policy for county government. While the Commissioners have no power to initiate legislation, they do exercise powers granted to them by the Ohio General Assembly through state law.
The Commissioners are responsible for the appropriations of the county tax revenues through the adoption of the annual county budget. The County operates on a January 1 through December 31 fiscal year and must adopt the final budget no later than April 1 of each year. The budget includes appropriations for the numerous county offices, including those offices headed by other elected officials. The Commissioners have the power to levy taxes and to approve the placement of tax levies and bond issues on the ballot for consideration by county voters. The Commissioners also administer all federal grant monies.
The Commissioners hold title to all county owned property and are responsible for the upkeep. By law, they must provide office space for all county offices. They must build the facilities necessary to house various offices such as the Courtrooms, the Jail, Engineer's facilities and parking. The Commissioners award all contracts for purchase and construction projects.
Staffing 2009 Full-time 14 Part-time 1 Total 15
"In Fairport Harbor, the steelheads are running, but negotiations between the school employees and the board are at a standstill. Maybe the superintendent is waiting for deer season," began Fairport Harbor Education Association spokeswoman Becca Grunda Oct. 28.
The sheriff's office already has planned measures that will cut about $900,000 from its budget. They include closing the minimum security jail in Painesville Township, laying off 13 full-time corrections officers, one part-time officer, one full-time clerk and one part-time clerk. The office is eliminating the Road Patrol K-9 Program and closing the front door security post at the Lake County Court of Common Pleas. A deputy who is retiring also will not be replaced.
Sheriff Daniel Dunlap explained that the cuts are painful, unwanted but unavoidable. It would be impossible to cut more than $1 million from a $15 million budget without cutting staff.
City Council approved purchasing the $43,936 radio system in July and plans were to be on air within a month. However, it was postponed because of a delay in receiving some of the equipment needed to relocate where the system would be mounted. Another $1,300 was needed to cover the cost of the additional equipment.
Lake County commissioners weren't pleased Tuesday to learn that sales tax collections for August were down 11.5 percent when compared with August 2008. The data reflect a time when the federal Cash for Clunkers auto program was in full swing.
To date, the city's budgeted carryover balance is $8.2 million, but Malinowski said that could increase to $10.2 million if current figures hold.
Malinowski said the city aims to keep the carryover balance for 2010 at $7.6 million. The balance represents about two months of the General Fund's budgeted revenue, which is recommended by the Government Finance Officers Association.
Yet, to achieve that $7.6 million balance will require $3.5 million in cuts to the proposed General Fund, Interim City Manager Dan Llewellyn said.
Here are some of the proposal Mentor City Council is thinking about to fix the "problem:"
* 10 percent furlough or layoffs.Get ready for tax increases Mentor! Based on the lack of fiscal discpline throughout Lake County: Willoughby Eastlake School Levy, Library Levy, Eastlake Fire levy, and the likes; and, the State's inability to balance its checkbook: massive holes in the budget and various shenanigans to try and balance (video lottery terminals, suspended tax cuts) you can rest assured that Mentor will use this to justify tax increases!
* 5 percent furlough.
* defer budgeted wage increase.
* voluntary forfeiture of additional pay items.
* 10 percent overtime reduction.
* waste subsidy elimination.
* not fill four firefighter and three police officer positions.
* reduce tax credit to 75 percent.
* increase Mentor income tax rate by 0.25 percent.
* add a 1 mill property tax levy.
State law makers are hoping they can hand Governor Ted Strickland your money by the bag full! That's right!* The race for Wickliffe Council Ward 1 has 33 outstanding ballots left with a two-vote difference between the two candidates. James Bala received 620 votes, and Terri Jo Rotondo had 618 votes.
* The Wickliffe mayoral contest had a difference of 52 votes with 120 outstanding ballots left between the two candidates. Bill Margalis received 2,340 votes; Gordon F. Levar received 2,288 votes.
* For North Perry Village Council, voters selected four candidates with difference of four votes among three candidates vying for the fourth spot, and 11 outstanding ballots remain. Joe Stinson Jr. received 190 votes, Lorrie J. Taylor had 186 votes, and Michael Zinn had 186 votes.
* For Riverside School Board, voters selected three candidates with a difference of 37 votes between third and fifth place, with 139 outstanding ballots left in Painesville Township. Richard Radcliffe received 3,832 votes, Brian Kolkowski received 3,795 votes, and Thomas J. Trombley received 3,705 votes.
* For Madison School Board, voters selected three candidates with a 62-vote difference between third and fourth place, and 122 outstanding ballots left (92 in Madison Township and 30 in Madison Village). Duane H. Frager received 1,746 votes and Michael Legeza received 1,710 votes.
* For Kirtland School Board, 43 outstanding ballots remain. Voters selected three candidates with a difference of 11 votes between third and four place. Timothy E. Kehres received 1,194 votes and Keith A. McCrory garnered 1,183 votes.
This past week Lake County Commissioners Dan Troy (D) and Ray Sines (R) sparred verbally over a cut proposed by Sines to the fee paid by homeowners in communities participating the Lake County Storm Management Program according to a News-Herald article.
