Published Friday, December 27, 2002
Herald Staff Writer
In a split vote, Mercer County commissioners Thursday adopted a $54.4 million budget for 2003 that raises taxes 18.9 percent.
Commissioner Olivia M. Lazor voted against the spending plan and levy of 17.25 mills, saying she felt obligated to be "the taxpayers' advocate."
Commissioners Kenneth A. Seamans and Chairman Cloyd E. "Gene" Brenneman voted for the budget that totals $54,394,706, down about $400,000 from the tentative plan, and for the real estate tax, which was trimmed from the proposed 3-mill hike.
A mill is $1 for every $1,000 in assessed property value; assessments are a property's 1970 market value. At 17.25 mills, a home assessed at $15,000 carries a tax bill of $259. Each mill of property tax brings the county about $1 million.
For 2002, commissioners raised taxes a record 36 percent, or 4.25 mills.
Last year, county commissioners changed the property tax assessment ratio from one-third of a property's 1970 market value to 100 percent. This year's 2.75-mill increase would have been 8.25 mills under the old ratio.
Mrs. Lazor read a prepared statement, explaining her "no" vote.
Of the 17.25 mills, 14.5 are earmarked for the general fund, 2.25 mills for the sinking bond fund, and 0.5 mill for the capital reserve fund.
"First, after last year's increase of 36 percent, there was a pledge that the commissioners would not come back any time soon for another tax increase. ... I will not go back on my word," she read.
Also, she said, not enough effort was made to reduce expenses and reorganize departments to avoid a tax hike.
Mrs. Lazor said an across-the-board spending cut of at least 5 percent, maybe even 10 percent, would have reduced the need for such a steep increase in taxes. Such cuts would have saved the county at least $1 million and commissioners could have limited the tax hike to 1 mill, she said.
"Because of my budget-reduction suggestions, I have been ridiculed, maligned, called a liar and accused of grandstanding," she said.
Her statements drew harsh words and criticism from Seamans and other elected officials.
Seamans said, "I certainly never gave a pledge, and to my knowledge no other commissioner ever gave such a pledge, to not raise taxes."
Half of the tax hike, Seamans said, is to make payments on the $30 million bond issue, which is funding the courthouse renovations, new district justice offices and new county jail.
Even after making cuts, some of which Seamans named, he said taxes still needed to be raised.
"When it comes to raising taxes, I don't like it, but we have no alternative. Period. I've said my piece," Seamans said.
Brenneman added, "It's difficult. We have to get the money someplace, and it requires this 2.75-mill increase. We were working on this for weeks and months, and I feel this is a very good budget."
Brenneman then opened the floor to comment from elected officials.
Sheriff William Romine, District Attorney James Epstein and Clerk of Courts Kathleen Kloos all spoke against Mrs. Lazor's proposed downsizing.
Romine said many departments, including his, send tight budgets to the commissioners each year.
Epstein called asking courthouse departments to downsize by 5 percent unreasonable.
"We have agreed the judicial caseload required the addition of a fourth county judge," he said. "I think it unreasonable for those offices, the prothonotary, the clerk of courts, the district attorney's office, the sheriff's office and the public defenders to make cuts at a time when we've agreed to take fairly drastic action by the approval of a fourth judgeship."
Mrs. Kloos told Mrs. Lazor that while she had always supported her and thinks she works hard for the county, "you do have a tendency to grandstand."
"We cannot administer our offices efficiently by reducing our budgets. We give you actual numbers of expenses. We do not give you inflated estimates of our budgets."
But Mrs. Lazor pointed to the projected $1.5 million year-end balance in 2003.
"They've built some fat into this budget in order to have an end-of-the-year balance," she said. "If they have any extra money, they'll spend it."
Controller Tom Amundsen said the county will begin the next year $500,000 in debt, and the extra money will help the county make it to the end of 2003.
The extra money, he said, was "prudent fiscal managing of an account, instead of basically living on a credit card at the end of the year."
The projected surplus will be used to repay the $500,000 the county owes and leave it about $1 million to start 2004.
You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Amanda Smith-Teutsch at: ateutsch@sharonherald.com