• County Officials Issue “Fact Sheet”

    by  • July 19, 2010 • News & Views • 20 Comments

    The following “Fact Sheet” was recently issued by elected Crawford County officials concerning the upcoming Criminal Justice Services levy. This information is being brought to you as a public service; GalionLive takes no position, pro or con, on issues pending before local voters.

    Please feel free to comment on this information or to provide other viewpoints relative to the upcoming levy.

    To all citizens, elected officials, and community and civic leaders and organizations of Crawford County:
    As you know, our county is experiencing significant economic challenges.
    THE CHALLENGES
    • All revenue streams to support core government services and public safety have been negatively impacted by the downturn of the economy, which has escalated the rate at which the cash reserves of the county are depleting.
    • Sales tax revenue declined by 13% in 2009 – projected to decline an additional 12% in 2010. This 25% decline in sales tax revenue since 2008 affects both the General Operating Fund and the Jail Operating Fund which is supported by sales tax revenue.
    • Interest revenue is projected to decline by 65.35% in 2010.
    • Other revenue sources have declined by more than 37%.
    • Revenue collections have not kept pace with inflation. (1.9% since 2006 as compared to 2.4% inflation)
    • Changes in state mandated incarceration requirements have increased local costs.
    • Crime rates and drug activities are increasing, putting additional financial pressure on the county’s criminal justice system.
    • Since 1994, the inmate population has increased from a daily average rate of 27 to a daily average rate of 115 in 2009.
    • Since voters approved a jail levy in 1994, all cities have closed their jail facilities, thus obligating the county to house municipal prisoners and assume all financial responsibilities for incarceration.
    • Loss of approximately $200,000 in annual jail housing revenue from other counties due to jail being filled to capacity with local inmates.
    • Drug related crimes have doubled and thefts and burglaries have increased by 48% since 2003.
    • The drug of choice in Crawford County is now heroin with approximately one-third to one-half of the average daily jail population being addicted to heroin.
    • Over the last several years, Crawford County has consistently ranked in the top ten in the State of Ohio for the number of heroin related deaths.
    THE EFFORTS
    Crawford County’s elected leaders have worked diligently to maintain the cost of providing core government services. Since 2006, the actual cost of providing core government services has only increased by 2.9%. PRIOR to asking taxpayers to approve additional revenue to support public safety and criminal justice service, in our county the following financial reductions and changes were made:
    • General Fund budgets were reduced 17% lower than actual expenditures for 2009.
    • Elected official salaries were frozen in 2008 indefinitely.
    • County General and Jail Fund employee salaries were frozen in 2009.
    • All NON-MANDATED financial support was reduced or eliminated for agencies such as: OSU Extension, Soil and Water, Regional Planning & Economic Development, and the Fair Board.
    • Employer contributions for health care were frozen at 2009 expenditure levels.
    • Health insurance contributions by employees increased in 2010.
    • Health insurance deductibles were imposed for 2010.
    • All NON-MANDATED travel was eliminated, and all equipment, capital improvements and facility maintenance budgets were reduced and/or deferred.
    THE IMPACT
    Becase government agencies are so interrelated, any further reductions in budgets or workforce will result in significant delays in providing government services from ALL COUNTY GENERAL AND JAIL FUND DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES, INCLUDING ALL COURT SYSTEMS, THE COUNTY AUDITOR, CLERK OF COURTS, COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, COUNTY PROSECUTOR, COUNTY RECORDER, COUNTY SHERIFF, COUNTY TREASURER.
    With ever increasing unfunded state and federal mandates and given the fact that current employment levels of the county are 12% lower than employment levels nearly a decade ago and with a declining tax base and revenue streams, providing core government services in a timely manner is becoming nearly impossible.
    Again, the challenges our county faces are significant. We must come together as a community to take charge of these issues to ensure a brighter, safer future for the place in which we live and work. Please join us by endorsing and supporting the five-year, 2.75 mill property tax levy on August 3rd.
    Sincerely,
    County Commissioner, Gary Miller
    County Commissioner, Mo Ressallat
    County Commissioner, Doug Weisenauer
    County Treasurer, Gary Cole
    County Prosecutor, Stan Flegm
    County Auditor, Robin Hildebrand
    County Engineer, Cecil Newcome
    County Recorder, Karen Scott
    County Clerk of Courts, Sue Seevers
    County Sheriff, Ron Shawber

    Related posts:

    1. State Officials to Share Views on “New Realities”
    2. County Unemployment Rate Drops Significantly
    3. Galion’s Number One Health Issue
    4. Officials Seek Help in Locating Weapon
    5. Crawford County Voters to Vote on Park Levy in March

    About

    • Anthony

      1994 an average 27 inmates daily, in the 17 years since then Crawford Counties population has declined by 20 %, yet inmate popluation at the local county clink is up over 400%.

      Most of the increases are there for non violent offenses by their own words.

      Crawford County is jailing too many people for things that most counties would laugh at.

      They built the jail with the naive thinking they would make money from other counties by getting their inmates, and they didn’t notice that those exact same counties were doing the same thing.

      The county commissioners have managed to bankrupt the county now, and want to affix blame to everyone but themselves and their decisions.

      None of them noticed that Morrow county was having the exact same problem two years ago and did virtually nothing to reign in spending.

      By the way, if the county wants to put out facts, you might want to speak the truth when you do put the info out.

      Crawford County is in the top 10% of overdose deaths from prescription drug abuse (pills). Refusal by local officials to implement simple programs that other communities have done sucessfully to remedy the situation has fallen on deaf ears. They would rather continue to jail there way out of it, even though it’s not working.

    • Shelly

      The county government system should look within for tightening their belts like county residents have had to do. So elected officials salaries were frozen — they should be. Now, what about appointed county employees and their salaries??? Assistant Prosecuting Attorney’s salary is ridiculous. Judge Wiseman’s appointed employee earning $64,000??? And does he even work 40 hours a week? Wake up people! Don’t come to us for more taxes when you don’t recognize a recession in your own house!!! Start making cuts in ridiculous salaries and maybe you’ll have some extra money to keep our sheriff’s office in the black without additional taxing on residents who have no job or job opportunities. Your health insurance premium contributions and deductibles are a LUXURY!! Do you know what your residents pay for health insurance (if they even have it) and what their deductibles are? You’d be shocked — but you’ll never know because you live in your own little world and don’t want to know what the real world is like. When you make intelligent changes in the salaries and make sure everyone who works there REALLY needs to be there, then we’ll listen.

    • Anthony

      County commissioners are promising this is a safety levy and the funds will not be diverted from it to other county offices.

      Were not Galion citizens told the exact same thing about the local safety levy when the voters increased the income tax permanently ?

      Police and Fire fighters will not be touched was what promised.

      How long did it takes to break that promise ?

    • SDT211

      I’m curious if we pass this tax and the citizens cannot afford to pay it are they going to lock us up in that nice roomy jail?

      Sales tax declining by 13% – uh does that mean that people in Crawford County are broke and not buying anything?

      Interest revenue is “PROJECTED” to decline by 65.35% – sounds like they should shop their banking around to find a better interest rate!

      This one I like the best – “Revenue collections have not kept pace with inflation” – wow I think the majority of residents revenue has not kept pace with inflation since 2006 (well unless you work for the county of course)

      Crawford County needs to look at things like the county fair, it is not self sustaining then do away with it – sorry but if the tax is passed it takes money from our pockets that we would spend at the fair.

      Health insurance deductibles are no longer paid??? Wow welcome to the real world! And Health insurance contributions have increased – once again welcome to what the real world has to deal with!

      Impose pay cuts! Start at the top and work your way down! 20% for the highest paid to 3% for the lowest…welcome to the real world!

      I know I will be loved for this comment but here goes: If you choose to use drugs you do it at your own risk and I feel for the families but OH WELL THEY MADE THEIR CHOICE let them kill themselves and at least there will be an open bed in the jail for the citizens that can’t afford to pay the tax!

    • Jeff Lehart

      Some of you talk about the salaries of a judge being $64,000. This man has at least 8 years of education to get where he is. Gene Toy who doesn’t have any degree is making $80,000 a year. Seems funny how that is ok with people here in a city where population has dropped to almost 1950 levels. The levy is needed and in times of great financial hardships crime goes up. This is not a new phenomenon in our country. The jail spends $56 per inmate and if we don’t approve this levy we will still have to pay to house inmates at another facility which will cost in the neighborhood of $70 per inmate. I don’t approve of all the County Commissioners do and that is why I plan to run in 2012. This levy is a benefit to all of Crawford County and at the cost of $70 per year or less depending on how much your house is worth is not a huge price to pay considering how much we spend here to keep our police force. I am all for safety services and feel there is much that can be cut without sacrificing those. How about cutting non essential jobs such as how many superintendents we have in 5 departments when one will do. Find out how much they make plus their benefits then multiply that by 5 and I would estimate it costs Galion in the neighborhood of $400,000 plus per year. I am sure that is happening in other areas too. Trim those first and preserve our legal representatives whom we all need. This levy also affects people who work in the jail as well as the jail itself.

    • Michael Richart

      Why is it that when GOVERNMENT, be it local, county, state or federal; get into financial trouble they come to the public and want us to bale them out. As if we have some magical pot of gold hiding under our mattresses. The county in the last few years have build a new county building, sold off landfill, etc… I think that they should not make the Sheriff Dept. a scapegoat for there spending habits. Make cuts!!!!! And maintain the responsability of a sheriff department for the citizens of the county. If that means we send back those inmates that we are housing for other counties or increase the charge for those housed so be it. With the current policies from Washington – relief is not forthcoming anytime soon.

    • Jeff Lehart

      People say cut it but yet when the time comes we want our safety. Can’t have it both ways. I am sure there are things that could be cut here as well but it isn’t being done either. Overpaying your city manager for one. People here don’t seem to mind paying an extra tax to pay for the police force here for a lot more money than this. We still have to pay for the inmates as I said before and the cost will fall on us at a greater amount than is presently being asked for. You want to cut things ask a CPA to come in to these cities and the county and see where the money is going. I am sure we would all be surprised. I am not a fan of taxes either. I feel we are overtaxed in Galion by far. If they can find a way to do this without the money I am all for it. Don’t risk our safety over a about $7 per month or less. This runs about $70 per a $100,000 home. How much do you pay for police here and they are losing two? Where did that money go and why isn’t anyone angry at that. When I run for County Commissioner I will make it my priority to make sure each dollar is accounted for an necessary to be spent. No more kickbacks and pet projects, we can’t afford it.

    • Anthony

      I think there are plenty of Galionites that are ticked off about being lied to on the safety levy and keeping the forces at current levels.

      The county commissioners deliberatley gutted the CCSO budget by 50%, who’s to say if citizens pass the levy, they wont take most of it for other purposes ? This is Crawford County, say one thing and do another.

      The simple fact is far too many people were inside the clink that shouldn’t be there. Other counties have used home confinement with electronic monitoring for years. Community service requirements and such. Crawford County is just now discovering this ?

      Again they mention 1994, the population of the county was 15% larger then, but now the inmate population is up 400 %.

    • Shelly

      Mr Lehart, read what the comment says! It is a judge-appointed county employee who makes $64,000, not the judge!! Please stop using this comment opportunity section for your future campaign aspirations!

    • Jeff Lehart

      Shelly the idea of this website is to try to fix the problems. I thought this was a free website. I just try to help but people like you makes me wonder why I would want to. People like you just want to complain but never have any solutions. Stop being a part of the problem and be part of the solution. Sorry my aspirations offend you at least I am trying to be a part of solving the problems here. I will keep my aspirations away from here. Take care all and good luck with everything.

    • Michael Richart

      Jeff – The bottom line is that people don’t have the money!!!!! The taxes that the county collects is supposed to pay for the sheriff department. These are bad times and unfortunately it may get a lot worse before it gets better. Giving the county more money is not going to help…. They should willing to chop anything, but I don’t think that has been done…..

    • Jeff Lehart

      Mike, What you don’t understand is we will have to pay for it one way or the other. If those prisoners go to another county that money still comes from Crawford County towards their care. The cost is higher and I am sure they will raise taxes or something to pay for it. I know people can’t afford it I can’t either but what is the alternative?

    • Jeff Lehart

      Mike,

      Think of it this way. Crawford doesn’t have the money and if it has to pay $14 more per inmate to house them elsewhere and we have 50 criminals there that is an EXTRA $700 per day added expense to Crawford County. Can we afford that? Nobody wants more taxes but you say to cut cost but you haven’t said anything about the salary of your city manager who makes $80,000 per year shouldn’t that be cut when a city like ours is in financial emergency? If you want to cut cost look everywhere to do so. I agree with responsible spending and if someone can find a way to avoid this tax I am all for it. Don’t make assumptions on things you may not know, I know the Sheriff and some of the County Commissioners and have had discussions with both. If there is another way lets here it.

    • SDT211

      If we don’t vote yes then they will send the inmates elsewhere at a higher cost then to house them in Crawford County? I think that housing an inmate in a different county would still be cheaper because you’re not paying the officers salaries, benefits and the general overhead for the jail.

      There has been absolutely nothing that I’ve read that will sway my vote to a yes and further more I know my expenses and I will not vote for anything that will cost me any more money right now and I’ll bet that you’ll find the same attitude throughout the county. Oh by the way they are not going to raise the taxes to ship the inmates elsewhere without it being put on the ballot first or they would’ve just raised them for this up and coming levy.

    • Anthony

      There is an old adage :

      People lie, numbers don’t. This is using the counties own information.

      An average of 115 inmates in the county clink by 365 days a year.

      115 X 365 = 41,400

      http://www.crawford-co.org/STATE_OF_THE_LOCAL_ECONOMY2.pdf

      on page 21 of the county fiscal report, before the cuts were made, Crawford County spent $ 1,097,860 to operate the county hotel.

      $ 1,097,860 divided by 41,400 inmate nights comes out to $26.50 per day per inmate incarcerated.

      So where are the figures they are coming up with coming from? The county spends $ 56 per inmate ?

      Thin air it appears. The figures show otherwise.

      Voting for an issue or a candidate usually comes down to credibility.

    • Jeff Lehart

      If you take 115 prisoners times 365 days times $56 a day the number comes to $2,318,400. This amount includes the salaries, jail and all the workers so you won’t save money when you figure that times $70 each. Credibility is not something that is abundant given that the city of Galion lies constantly and I am sure the county has as well. These are questions you should propose to the city officials listed. There information is on the web. Take the same amount of inmates 115 times $70 a day times 365 days the new number is $2,898,000. Now maybe this will put it in perspective. As I have said repeatedly I am not in favor of any more taxes especially in tax hungry Galion but this is important. Galion was the only city who voted it down last time. Do your research and make up your mind.

    • Anthony

      Jeff,

      The county list the amount to operate the jail as to the figures I posted.

      These are their figures not mine.

      The Sheriff has figures for the road patrol and then seperate figures for the jail.

      Their numbers at this point as the cost per inmate per day are simply not believable.

      They do not add up.

      If you can point out on page 21 of the financial report where I’m wrong.

    • Jeff Lehart

      I will have to look at it closer. As I have said many times I am not in favor of any new taxes. I think this needs a close look and the alternative is not very appealing either. I will look over those numbers and see how they do add up to determine what is being said and wanted. If they don’t add up I will be the first one to question it. I know the people working on this and have a lot of respect for them. Some of them I don’t know well and can’t say that for them. I am suspicious of anyone asking for money it is just the alternative of not having the Sheriff’s Department around is a scary thought. Our police force is adequate but ask people in Morrow county who now have one Sheriff on duty per shift with the Sheriff himself on duty at night. That doesn’t sound good for the safety of those in a county with only one Sheriff on duty and some smaller towns don’t have a police force. I ask that the facts be reviewed and vote with the knowledge you have gained one way or the other.

    • Anthony

      Growing up in Crawford County the Sheriff has always had a great reputation. As far as I can recall, they have never had any incidents like some of the communities have had with police wrong doing.

      They are more than fair with the citizens and have been well thought of by most citizens for as long as I can remember.

      It is a bad situation all around, made by very poor decisions years ago using faulty logic and ideas.

    • SDT211

      Well here we go the Bucyrus paper is reporting that if the sheriffs levy fails on the 3rd that they are preparing to go back to the ballot in November. I guess no no longer means no.

      Let me see we said NO in May because we could not afford this levy, we hopefully will say NO again on August 3rd because uh we can not afford this levy! So what are they going to do after it gets defeated a 3rd time? I do feel for the Sheriffs department mostly because the county commissioner stripped their budget to pay for other pet projects throughout the county that if it had gone on the ballot it would’ve been rejected but isn’t that just feeding the problem if we give them more money. Who is to say if the levy was to pass that the budget wouldn’t get stripped again for more pet projects and then they come back to us with all these doom and gloom scenarios to try and scare us into to once again throwing money at the problem. Sorry I’m not buying it, I will vote no in August and vote no again in November and again in February when another special election is cooked up.