• The Future of Galion

    A regular look at news and developments impacting the future of our community.

    Board Pivots in Face of Financial Shortfalls: No Bus Garage, No Levy, Big Cuts

    by  • April 27, 2012 • News & Views, Schools & Health, The Future of Galion • 14 Comments

    GMS Principal Andy Johnson talks to the Board during Thursday's Work Session

    At its Work Session on Thursday evening, the Galion Board of Education made the first in what will likely be a series of difficult choices over the coming weeks and months. Facing a forecast that calls for increasing revenue shortfalls to skyrocket to some $10 million annually by 2016, the clear picture was given that it is anything but business as usual on Portland Way North.

    In response, the Board is pivoting, regrouping, and preparing for reductions.

    District Treasurer Linda Kidwell led off a review of the District’s financial condition by sharing a 16-slide five year forecast update. Stating at the outset that only the initial two years of projections are clear as the state budget numbers are not yet known, the slides began with a pie chart review … Read the rest

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    Finance Committee Recommends Electric Bill Decrease

    by  • April 19, 2012 • News & Views, The Future of Galion • 21 Comments

    Finance Committee Chair Roberta Wade speaks to the audience during Thursday morning's meeting.

    On Thursday morning, 301 Harding Way East was clearly the “place to be,” as dozens of Galionites attended the monthly meeting of Galion City Council’s Finance Committee.

    Many of those in attendance left in much better spirits than they had when the meeting began.

    After an hour and a half of debate and discussion, the Committee voted 3-0 to recommend to the full Council a set of proposals – first, to remove the remaining 4% “adder” currently paid by Galion’s electric consumers, and second, to reject the rate increases recommended by the City’s electric rate consultants, Sawvel and Associates.

    Adoption of these two measures by the full Council would result in a net electric bill decrease.

    Finance Committee Chair Roberta Wade led off the meeting by announcing that its purpose … Read the rest

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    Crawford County Continues to Shrink

    by  • April 7, 2012 • News & Views, The Future of Galion • 6 Comments

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    As we shared earlier in the week, last year 2010 census figures were released which showed a 6.8% decline in the population of Crawford County in the preceding decade.

    On Thursday of this week, the first population estimates issued by the U.S. Census Bureau were released since then, pinpointing the number of residents in both counties and metropolitan/micropolitan statistical areas as of July 1, 2011.

    Crawford County’s population was figured at 43,389, compared to 43,755 in 2010. This loss of 366 people represents a .08 percent decrease. If this decline remains constant over the next nine years, however, the 2020 census would show a total population loss of 8.4%.

    In other words, the rate of Crawford County’s population loss is actually increasing.

    Richland County fared somewhat better. Although the county … Read the rest

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    Galion Votes

    by  • March 2, 2012 • News & Views, The Future of Galion • 2 Comments

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    Earlier this week, GalionLive announced that we would be accepting letters from candidates involved in contested races this primary season, along with their supporters. With the Ohio Primary itself arriving on Tuesday, we are now posting these letters as a public service. It is our hope that by reading them you can become better informed as you head to the ballot box.

    To access the site, click here, or click on the “Galion Votes” logo on the top of the first sidebar on GalionLive.

    The Galion area is a key part of election strategy for any would-be county office holder, as the southeastern quarter of Crawford County contains a higher number of voters than any other.

    This is also the first time that Galion’s locally-owned media source has published … Read the rest

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