• Posts Tagged ‘economy’

    Looking at Rates and Perceptions

    by  • January 27, 2012 • News & Views • 2 Comments

    The second part of Thursday’s City Council Finance Committee meeting started with a simple question, and ended with a set of motions fixing the next step in the City’s consideration of electric rate increases. In the middle was a good amount of dialogue, including a few rather stark differences of opinion.

    The initial question was raised by one of those gathered to listen to the Finance Committee meeting:

    In the 2011 Revenue Requirements (the amount needed to be obtained to operate the electrical utility) shared by Sawvel and Associates, some $296,668 was added to total expenditures with a caption of “Uncollected Billing Revenue and Other.” If this is correct, the questioner posed, why should paying electric customers be paying for those who do not pay their bill, and does this … Read the rest

    Read more →

    City Reexamines Electric Rates

    by  • January 26, 2012 • News & Views • 0 Comments

    NOTE: The lengthy City Council Finance Committee meeting on Thursday was quite long and full of open dialogue. GalionLive will present our coverage of the meeting in two installments — first looking at the presentation by the City’s electric rate consultants, and then looking at the engaging conversation which occurred after that presentation was finished.

    The room was full on Thursday morning as the Finance Committee of Galion City Council conducted its long-anticipated review of the City’s proposed electric rate increase. And, while there was no resolution of that issue, it is evident that it will be some time before that increase will be enacted — if ever.

    The meeting followed a brief, eight-minute session of the Galion Financial Planning and Supervision Commission, which is assigned the duty of … Read the rest

    Read more →

    Jobs at Your Fingertips

    by  • January 26, 2012 • Life in Galion • 0 Comments

    While GalionLive concentrates on sharing the latest information about Galion and the immediate area, we also occasionally bring our readers updates about more general news that can directly impact the lives of Galionites. News about one such item was received this week from Ohio Job and Family Services, and we share it below.

    Ohioans can now use their smart phones to assist in job-hunting efforts.

    The new OhioMeansJobs mobile phone application allows Ohioans to search, save and apply for jobs from their iPhone, iPad or Android device. The app combines unique data from the state of Ohio with advanced search tools and filter technology from Monster. Job seekers can use the app to view their resumes and search tens of thousands of job openings by job title, keyword and location.… Read the rest

    Read more →

    Local Unemployment Rate Unchanged in December

    by  • January 25, 2012 • News & Views • 0 Comments

    Figures released this week by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services show that the area’s unemployment rate remained relatively steady in December.

    For Crawford County in particular, the rate was unchanged, standing at 9.9 percent.

    The county did see improvement during 2011 as compared to other Ohio counties. A year ago, Crawford County had one of the highest rates outside of the southeast region of the state; now, it is tied for 17th highest among Ohio’s 88 counties.

    Statewide, December’s rate stood at 8.1 percent, down .4 percent from the previous month. Year-end figure show the largest sector gains in the number of jobs in Ohio in 2011 were in the areas of educational and health services (24,600 jobs), trade, transportation and utilities (19,400 jobs), and professional and … Read the rest

    Read more →

    2011 Area Home Sales Show Improvement

    by  • January 22, 2012 • News & Views • 0 Comments

    If the numbers are accurate, not only did Ohio’s housing market see a bit of a turnaround in 2011, but north central Ohio in particular fared rather well.

    The eastern portion of Crawford County, including Galion, is included in numbers compiled for the Mansfield area. Figures for the area include the following (2011 year-end figures first, those for 2010 second):

    • Number of Units Sold: 116 — 84 (a 38.1% increase)
    • Dollar Volume: $8,825,327 — $7,877,755 (a 12.0% increase)
    • Average Sale Price: $76,080 — $93,783 (a 18.9% decrease)

    The year-end totals for the Marion area (including Bucyrus) were also strong, with a 25.9% increase in number of units sold. In fact, the Scioto Valley area (Portsmouth) was the only other region in Ohio other than the local two to register an … Read the rest

    Read more →

    Alleged Mortgage Fraud Scheme Included Galion Properties

    by  • January 16, 2012 • News & Views • 0 Comments

    An indictment has been filed against David R. Sharrock, Richard W. Balliett, Rhonda J. McElroy, and Ronald L. Kightlinger charging them with multiple counts of bank and wire fraud in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme which caused approximately $1.3 million in losses to Geauga Savings Bank, J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, Washington Mutual Bank, and Suntrust Mortgage, Inc, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

    Sharrock is also charged with making false statements to the FBI relative to the scheme.

    David R. Sharrock, age 69, currently resides in Mansfield, Ohio. Richard W. Balliet, age 44, currently resides in Bucyrus, Ohio. Rhonda J. McElroy, age 49, currently resides in Bellville, Ohio. Ronald L Kightlinger, age 51, currently resides in Crestline, Ohio.

    The indictment alleges that … Read the rest

    Read more →