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LISBON -- Columbiana County Commissioners adopted the 2023 county tax budget Wednesday, showing an increase in expected revenue of $22,573,230 in the general fund and department requests topping $23,869,566.
That leaves more than $1.2 million commissioners will have to cut when the final appropriations are approved in the fall for next year.
"We try to be fair," Commissioner Mike Halleck said.
The tax budget has been referred to at times as the wish list, referring to the budget requests the departments submit in hopes of receiving more funding when appropriations are done.
Halleck explained that the county Budget Commission comprised of the county auditor, county treasurer and county prosecutor, comes up with the number for the expected revenue after looking at all the revenue sources.
He noted that the requests exceed more than $1 million of what they'll be appropriating, so trimming will be necessary.
"We give everybody everything they need, not necessarily what they want," he said.
Next year's number for expected revenue is higher than this year's number, which Halleck had mentioned during a recent meeting. Requests are also higher for next year than this year's number. In many cases, departments and offices requested more money than they did for this year. Some, though, asked for the same or less, such as the commissioners, auditor, recorder, economic development and coroner.
Two groups who depend on the general fund made presentations to commissioners Wednesday in support of their budgets and possible increases for their appropriations next year, noting their costs are expected to go up.
Columbiana Soil and Water Conservation District Program Coordinator Pete Conkle, who was accompanied by SWCD Supervisor Duane Nickell, gave commissioners an overview of the district's annual report, showing the numbers of USDA Farm Bill programs, farm visits and conservation planning, pond evaluations, educational events, drainage and floodplain evaluations, no-till drill rentals, tree and fish sale, CAUV spot checks, nuisance wildlife complaints, soil sampling program and water quality monitoring on Little Beaver Creek.
The county gives the agency $58,400 from the general fund, then the state matches that with $82,832, so for every $1 the county gives the agency, the agency receives another $1.40 in the match. The agency also uses grant funding.
Conkle said pollution abatement into waterways is a high priority for the state and they have to investigate those complaints. He said Columbiana County had some of the highest violations in the state and that number is expected to rise, increasing their workload for management plans. The agency is also hoping to move a part-time position to full-time and return to having a district conservationist.
Nickell said that they would like to be more proactive to prevent some of the violations for pollution into the waterways.
Kevan Wain, executive director of the Columbiana County Veterans Service Commission, also delivered some statistics to the commissioners in support of the commission's budget request, which totals $961,400. This year's request was $765,045.
He explained that fuel costs have doubled for the van transport program for veterans due to the high cost of gas and more clinics are being visited within a 100-mile radius. A new van is needed in 2023 to replace an aging 2016 Ford Transit, with a significant increase expected in the cost. A new service officer-in-training will create additional costs during the 18-month training period.
Wain said the agency is seeing an increase in clients, too, averaging 59 new people per month since January. He said they may need to increase their staffing due to an expected increase in clients from legislation allowing more veterans to receive benefits due to their exposure to toxic hazards. Medical insurance costs also increased this year by 36 percent.
He noted in 2021, every appropriated dollar returned $95 to the county in federal spending.
The population of veterans in the county stands at 7,870 and the total federal VA expenditure within the county, including healthcare, was just under $69 million.
mgreier@salemnews.net