Lake County
Posted November 05, 2012 in Press Releases
State OverviewDownload PDFImpact of Ohio’s 2012-13 state budget (HB 153)
Ohio’s budget for 2012 and 2013 cut local government aid by a billion dollars. This means cuts in services we depend on, from road repair and emergency services to crossing guards, senior transportation and child protective services. What are the implications for Lake County?
The state cut the Local Government Fund to the county, forcing Lake County to make cuts to jurisdictions within the county. The state also cut direct funding to municipalities, and slashed reimbursements for taxes it had eliminated, taxes that businesses and utilities had paid to local governments. School districts and the public library fund were also cut. Losses in calendar years 2012 and 2013, compared to 2010 and 2011, include, among others:
- Public Library Fund...................... -$440 thousand
- Schools..................................... -$33.9 million
- County operations........................ -$12.5 million (includes LGF for townships and parks)
- Mentor City................................. -$2.9 million
- Wickliffe City............................... -$1.7 million
- Painesville City............................ -$1.1 million
- Willoughby City............................ -$2.1 million
- Willowick City.............................. -$1.3 million
- Lakeland Community College.......... -$3.6 million
- Metropolitan Park District............... -$1.2 million
Loss to health and human service levies
- County mental health/developmental disabilities......... -$5.6 million
- County children’s services..................................... -$613 thousand
- County seniors services........................................ -$332 thousand
Notes and quotes
“…the Lake County Sheriff’s Office was forced to eliminate five Deputy Sheriff positions due to cuts in the 2012 Road Patrol budget . . . These lay-offs bring the total number of full-time employees laid-off or not replaced to fifty-five since 2009.” From “Lake County Sheriff announces layoffs.” 19 Action News. January 12, 2012. http://tinyurl.com/9pv4s3h.
In Eastlake, “the city plans to cut 25 current full-time positions . . . City policy numbers will be reduced from 40 to 25 and the fire department will lose five (from 31 to 26 employees). The city’s recreation staff falls from 13 to 8, representing the largest employee loss percentage-wise of any city department.” From Worrell, Chris. “Eastlake cuts jobs and programs to salvage 2012 budget.” The Plain Dealer. December 12, 2011. http://tinyurl.com/9pbmuos.
“We’re looking at all kinds of things to try to save money. But this district already operates on a very frugal basis. We talk about the 300-pound guy can lose 50 pounds pretty easy, but the 100-pound guy can’t lose 50 pounds very readily.”