Impact 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 Columbiana County?

The state cut the Local Government Fund to the county, forcing Columbiana 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...................... -$216.0 thousand
• Schools....................................... -$8.7 million
• County operations........................ -$4.4 million                 (includes County Undivided Fund)
• St. Clair Township....................... -$189.0 thousand
• East Liverpool............................. -$371.0 thousand
• Salem......................................... -$347.0 thousand

Loss to health and human service levies

• County mental health................... -$1.0 million
• Columbiana cancer clinic............. -$20.0 thousand
• County children’s services............. -$85.0 thousand  

Notes and quotes

County recorder plans to use document recording fees to help offset the financial shortfall from budget cuts. From Giambroni, Tom. “County recorder points out increased revenue, plus the pain severe budget cuts would cause.” Morning Journal News.  July 13, 2011. http://tinyurl.com/blkyeku.  

Columbiana County Health Department will lay off one of five service coordinators in the Help Me Grow program to adjust to budget cuts. From Johnson, Deanne.  “Anticipating cuts, Health board trims program.”  Salem News.  May 19, 2011. http://tinyurl.com/blz6qle.

Katie Houk, OSU Extension’s newest educator and director in Columbiana County said that the main way of dealing with budget cuts was to “take it one day at a time and move onto the next.” Budget cuts reduced Extension staffing in Columbiana and many other Ohio counties. From Kick, Chris.  “Houk is new OSU extension director in Columbiana County,” Farm and Dairy. March 7, 2012. http://tinyurl.com/bwl3zbl.

NOTES:  The current state budget cuts the Local Government Fund to counties, municipalities and townships by 25 percent in the first year and by 50 percent in the second year. This 77-year old state revenue sharing program has, for generations, been essential to helping Ohio communities fund schools, provide services, and lift people out of poverty.  The current state budget also phases out most of the tangible personal property tax and public utility property tax reimbursements, which were promised to local governments when the state cut taxes in recent years.  These are not the only losses to local governments because of this budget.  There are others in specific programs.  Here we detail some of the bigger shifts.  Change in revenues shown here include: 

• Local Government Fund "County Undivided Fund," which counties share with their cities, townships and villages. We show how much less money the counties are receiving under the current 2-year state budget (for 2012 and 2013) compared to the two years under the prior state budget (which was for 2010 and 2011).   Here the funds are shown on a calendar year basis because that is how the tax department forecasts and records their distribution to local governments, and it is how local governments budget. (The state budget is based on the fiscal year, July 1 through June 30.)
• Local Government “Municipal Direct” allocation from the Local Government Fund that the state gives directly to municipalities with an income tax.  This is also shown in terms of funding provided in the calendar years 2012 and 2013 compared to 2010 and 2011.   3)
• Property tax reimbursements promised to local governments during tax reductions enacted earlier in the decade.  The loss of funding in calendar years 2012 and 2013 is compared to the level of funding provided in 2010 and 2011.  

The figures for changes in funding levels are based on data provided by and spreadsheets online at the Ohio Department of Taxation for local government funds and tax reimbursement distributions.