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Issue 1 part 3 continued
Q: Is this a permanent sales tax or can it be rescinded?
A: The sales tax is a five-year continuing levy, said Fairfield County Deputy Chief Auditor Ed Laramee.
?“It doesn?’t have an expiration,?” he said. ?“It?’s like a property tax passed on a continuing basis.?”
The money will go into a special fund, Laramee said, pursuant to Ohio Revised Code Section 5739.026. In order to follow the Revised Code, the ballot language ?“had to be very specific where those dollars would go in the first five years,?” he said. If the sales tax passes, the amount of money earmarked for safety services must stay the same for five years.
Q: What happens after five years?
A: ?“Say, 10 years out, maybe this is bringing in $8 million because we grow as a county,?” Laramee said. ?“It?’s rightful to ask, ?‘Where is that going to go??’ It can only go for the purposes in this issue; therefore, the allocations within those issues could change over time.?”
For example, if the 911 call center needed more money, money would be taken away from the jail construction fund or the jail operation budget in order to raise the 911 center?’s budget.
Even after five years, the money will never just go into the general fund, Laramee said.
?“For the life of this issue, it can only go for the purposes established,?” he said. ?“The only way that anyone ?— I don?’t care who they are ?— can change that is, they have to go to court and stipulate that (the monies) are no longer needed for the purpose for which they were intended.?”
Q: What happens after the jail is paid for?
A: Construction of the jail will cost about $12 million, Phalen said, and will be financed through bonds.
When the planning period begins, Laramee said, bonds will be sold to finance it. The jail will be paid off 28 years after the first bond is sold, he said. Once the jail is paid off, the money raised by the sales tax levy would go toward the other expenses dictated in the ballot language.
Q: How is a raise in sales tax justifiable to someone on a fixed income?
A: ?“There?’s no fair tax for someone (on a fixed income),?” Myers said. ?“This would be the least intrusive tax for someone like that.?”
Published by the Lancaster Eagle Gazette on February 7, 2005.
They seem to have more answers for the area residents on county wide issues.
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Issue 1 Ballot info
Posted February 5, 2005 9:10 PM.
Read the resolution and ballot language for the Feb. 8 special election
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Whereas, revenues to Fairfield County have significantly decreased between the years 2001 and 2004; and
Whereas, various expenses of Fairfield County have dramatically increased between the years 2001 and 2004; and
Whereas, Ohio Revised Code Section 5739.026 permits Fairfield County, Ohio, to levy and collect an additional sales tax of one half of one percent upon every retail sale made in Fairfield County, Ohio; and
Whereas, Ohio Revised Code Section 5741.023 permits Fairfield County, Ohio, to levy and collect an additional use tax of one half of one percent upon the storage, use or other consumption of motor vehicles, watercraft and outboard motors in Fairfield County, Ohio; and
Whereas, Fairfield County, Ohio, is in need of additional revenues; and
Whereas, Fairfield County, Ohio, desires to increase said retail sales and use taxes by one half of one percent to the effective rate of seven and one-quarter percent for the purpose of providing additional revenues for the County in support of juvenile and adult criminal and administrative justive services in Fairfield County, Ohio, and to pay the expense of administering such levy,
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Issue 1 Ballot info Continued
Now therefore, be it resolved by the Board of Commissioners of Fairfield County, Ohio:
Section 1: That a sales and use tax proposal be placed on the ballot for special election to be conducted February 8, 2005, whereby an additional one-half percent sales and use tax be imposed beginning July 1, 2005, for a continuing period of time in order:
A. To provide additional revenue for the operating expenses of an improved 911 dispatch system and related services for the county pursuant to section 5739.026(A)(6). $1,900,000 of the total revenues collected shall be distributed to a special fund of the county during year one and $2,000,000 of the total revenues collected shall be distributed to a special fund of the county during years two through five.
B. To provide additional revenue for the construction and equipping of a public safety facility to house a county adult detention center, the sheriff?’s administrative offices, a 911 communications and dispatch operations center and an emergency management administration and operations center pursuant to section 5739.026(A)(5) and to pay principal, interest premium and other costs associated with the issuance of bonds or notes in anticipation of bonds issued pursuant to Chapter 133 of the Ohio Revised Code. $1,250,000 of the total revenues collected shall be distributed to a special fund of the county during years one through five.
C. To provide additional revenue for the operation and maintenance of the county?’s adult detention facilities pursuant to section 5739.026(A)(7). $3,266,000 of the total revenues collected shall be distributed to a special fund of the county during year one and any increase in the allocation to the special fund from the total revenues collected during years two through five shall be capped at 4 percent annually.
D. To provide additional revenue for Fairfield County?’s share of operating expenses, including the county?’s share of debt service requirements pursuant to section 5739.026(A)(7) of the existing multi-county juvenile detention facility. All revenues collected in excess of the amounts required to fund items A through C above shall be used for this purpose.
Section 2: That the clerk is hereby instructed to deliver this resolution to the Fairfield County Board of Elections in a timely manner in order that this question shall appear upon the ballot of a special election to be conducted on February 8, 2005.
Here is the ballot language that voters will see Tuesday:
The Board of County Commissioners of Fairfield County proposes an increase in the sales and use tax in the amount of one-half percent for the purpose of funding the operation expenses of an improved 911 system; construction and equipping a public safety facility; operation and maintenance of the adult detention facility; and county?’s share of operating expenses of the existing multi-county juvenile detention facility for a continuing period of time.
Shall the resolution of the Fairfield County Commissioners proposing a one-half percent sales and use tax increase be approved?
Now therefore, be it resolved by the Board of Commissioners of Fairfield County, Ohio:
Section 1: That a sales and use tax proposal be placed on the ballot for special election to be conducted February 8, 2005, whereby an additional one-half percent sales and use tax be imposed beginning July 1, 2005, for a continuing period of time in order:
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Issue 1 Ballot information Cont.
A. To provide additional revenue for the operating expenses of an improved 911 dispatch system and related services for the county pursuant to section 5739.026(A)(6). $1,900,000 of the total revenues collected shall be distributed to a special fund of the county during year one and $2,000,000 of the total revenues collected shall be distributed to a special fund of the county during years two through five.
B. To provide additional revenue for the construction and equipping of a public safety facility to house a county adult detention center, the sheriff?’s administrative offices, a 911 communications and dispatch operations center and an emergency management administration and operations center pursuant to section 5739.026(A)(5) and to pay principal, interest premium and other costs associated with the issuance of bonds or notes in anticipation of bonds issued pursuant to Chapter 133 of the Ohio Revised Code. $1,250,000 of the total revenues collected shall be distributed to a special fund of the county during years one through five.
C. To provide additional revenue for the operation and maintenance of the county?’s adult detention facilities pursuant to section 5739.026(A)(7). $3,266,000 of the total revenues collected shall be distributed to a special fund of the county during year one and any increase in the allocation to the special fund from the total revenues collected during years two through five shall be capped at 4 percent annually.
D. To provide additional revenue for Fairfield County?’s share of operating expenses, including the county?’s share of debt service requirements pursuant to section 5739.026(A)(7) of the existing multi-county juvenile detention facility. All revenues collected in excess of the amounts required to fund items A through C above shall be used for this purpose.
Section 2: That the clerk is hereby instructed to deliver this resolution to the Fairfield County Board of Elections in a timely manner in order that this question shall appear upon the ballot of a special election to be conducted on February 8, 2005.
Here is the ballot language that voters will see Tuesday:
The Board of County Commissioners of Fairfield County proposes an increase in the sales and use tax in the amount of one-half percent for the purpose of funding the operation expenses of an improved 911 system; construction and equipping a public safety facility; operation and maintenance of the adult detention facility; and county?’s share of operating expenses of the existing multi-county juvenile detention facility for a continuing period of time.
Shall the resolution of the Fairfield County Commissioners proposing a one-half percent sales and use tax increase be approved?
This was published in the Lancaster Eagle Gazette on February 7th 2005.
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