COMMISSIONERS: (SEE VIDEOS) STARK COUNTY ELECTED (APPOINTED IN CASE OF STARK BOARD OF ELECTIONS) NOT GETTING THE MESSAGE! "FUNDS ARE DOWN" - BELT TIGHTENING IS NOT TAKING PLACE VERY MUCH, IF AT ALL, AT ANY STARK DEPT OF GOV'T

Alarm bells are starting to go off in the 2nd floor of the Stark County Office Building.  At Wednesday's regular meeting, commissioners spent about an half an hour talking about the impending financial crisis that Stark faces beginning next year (2012).

County Administrator Mike Hanke is serving as the prime county alarmist.  However, all three commissioners joined in the alarm bell ringing.


Hanke went into quite a bit of detail about the fact that the county is experiencing a huge downturn of revenues.

The more subtle (but still highly significant) of two slides in revenue described by Hanke involves a decrease across the timeline 2005 through 2009 of revenue of the 2003 voted-in 0.250 sales tax increase.  See a synopsis of the drop below the 0.250 levy results graphic.

This levy will expire in June, 2011 unless renewed by Stark Countians.

The second is the expiration of collections from the December, 2008 imposition of a 0.50 sales tax by then Commissions Bosley, Vignos and Harmon.

It seems to the SCPR that these alarms are being sounded because Hanke and the commissioners are frustrated at apparent unconcern of county departments of governments about the looming crisis.

It appears to the SCPR (from The Report's take on Stark County departments of government)  that Hanke, Bosley, Meeks  and Ferguson can talk until they are blue in the face and nothing is going to change until real revenue numbers dictate change!


Below are videos of Hanke, Bosley (president of the Stark County Board of Commissioners, and members Meeks and Ferguson, in that order, speaking about the dire cuts coming.

First, County Administrator Hanke



Next, Commissioner Todd Bosley Next Commissioner
Ferguson
Last in terms of seniority, Commissioner Meeks