LISBON — In a press release issued Thursday, Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio President Jay McDonald urged support for Columbiana County’s 1% sales tax renewal on the May 6 ballot.

“This is not a new or additional tax,” he wrote. “It simply extends the current tax and provides vital funding for public safety.”

McDonald referred to the confusion that resulted the last time from the wording on the ballot, when voters downed the tax issue in the fall because they thought it was a new tax.

According to the press release, McDonald said in a letter to county commissioners that he appreciated their effort to correct confusion, but that more outreach is necessary.

“This is important because of the impact of the tax renewal, which provides a significant piece of the county’s operating budget. A second tax vote failure would result in devastating consequences — not only for the sheriff’s department, but for public safety throughout the county,” the press release said.

“Make no mistake, passage of the sales tax renewal is the difference between quality law enforcement and dangerous streets.” McDonald said, adding that they “need everyone from the county commissioners to residents reiterating the important fact that this renewal tax is not a new or additional tax.”

During the commissioners’ meeting Wednesday, Commissioner Mike Halleck indicated that he appreciated people commenting about the sales tax and thanked Pastor Brian Brown for praying for the sales tax at the beginning of the meeting.

“Hopefully people understand and move forward,” he said.

A woman told commissioners there’s an effort underfoot pushing people to vote no on State Issue 2 and asked about it.

State Issue 2 is asking voters to authorize the state to sell bonds, which are paid off with existing state revenue to fund projects for local governments through grants and loans for infrastructure projects.

Halleck said it doesn’t cost anything. It’s an avenue to help fund projects local communities might want to do.

According to a fact sheet about the Ohio Public Works Commission State Capital Improvement Program, the program is up for renewal by voters and would permit up to $250 million per year for the next 10 years to support the program. More than $7 billion was invested for 19,000 projects across the state in all 88 Ohio counties over the last 10 years, including in Columbiana County.

Commissioner Tim Ginter said it’s not an amendment to the constitution.

The commissioners have been talking about the need for the 1 % sales tax renewal for months now, expressing how it represents $14 million annually for the general fund, which is where most of the county offices receive funding.

At least 70 percent of the county general fund goes to criminal justice through the sheriff’s office, prosecutor, the county jail, the courts and clerk of courts.

Halleck commented that nowadays “people are voting with emotions and not common sense,” with a group of people in the area who are against anything that he’s for.

He said his dream would be to have a much more positive place.