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design
Regular Forum Member
USA
808 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 02 2009 : 08:12:57 AM
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250k would be 7 or 8 employees, making about 27k a year with benefits.
The county has laid off more employees than this low number.
Airborne, are you sure the restaurants in this bedroom community don't rake in 100mil?
design |
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rozee
Regular Forum Member
366 Posts |
Posted - Oct 02 2009 : 09:45:24 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Carlos
I'm certainly not a fan of more taxes, but I don't want to end up with no police like Morrow County. There needs to be some type of mandate to keep the commissioners from wasting the money on some other project. Have they ever showed what cuts they are making?
A little behind here but...
I live in Delaware County on the line between Morrow & Delaware. I spend money in Knox County every day. I'm a huge supporter of sales taxes (spreads it to everyone) in order to provide services, especially LE.
My neighbors across the road are in Morrow County. A few weeks ago, their garage and house were broken into 3 times in 1 week. The adult daughter DID get a license plate number which was traced back to a stolen car from Mansfield. Because of the road I'm on, DelCo Sheriff doesn't really patrol it - about 1 mile to the Knox County line off of a state highway. I can't imagine that criminals venturing through Morrow County to commit B & Es are really paying attention to the county lines. I've rarely had a garage in my life and I actually feel very fortunate right now to NOT have a garage.
For the last couple of years, several counties have had to cut LE protection and it makes the newspapers. Not only does a decrease in LE affect property values, crime increases. Even though I don't live in Knox County, I wouldn't bat an eye at an additional 1/4% at the register.
Debbie Henthorn |
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aproudamerican
Regular Forum Member
373 Posts |
Posted - Oct 02 2009 : 09:58:48 AM
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NRM, I've heard somewhere that the auditor or treasurer gave the figures of I think 1.2 or 1.3 million dollars that would be raised by the 1/4%.
CM, I agree with you that the Commissioners do have alot of explaining to do. They need to
own up to their financial decisions earlier this year. Now unfortunately the citizens of Knox County are the ones who will suffer.
Cateyes Yes they do look bad!!!!! On the longer work hours, as I understand it most if not all the employees are already on 7 hour days/ 35 hour weeks. This is not including the furlough days. That was just to make it through 2009, so I don’t know how they could work any longer on 4 days and still cut hours. I’ve heard that some are talking about going to 30 hours or less per week and furloughs just to come close to the commissioners additional 11%.
Do we want the Sheriff’s Office to also close one day a week to save money??? Of course I’m just being silly on that one, I HOPE. But it just might come to that if they have furlough days and a quarter of the force is laid off, as I’ve heard and read. I wonder if the commissioners will come out and patrol when there’s no officers on duty or if they will back up the lone officer in the county at 3:00am when he’s fighting with drunks or burglars?????????????
A Proud American |
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Fudd
Senior Forum Member
6219 Posts |
Posted - Oct 02 2009 : 10:25:54 AM
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This is a bad idea!
It looks like Strickland is going to raise income taxes on Ohioans.
We are in a recession, bordering on a depression.
Unemployment numbers were just released for August and the nation is now at 9.8%
Unemployment Rate
April 8.5%
May 8.9%
June: 9.4%
July: 9.5%
August: 9.8%
Right now, people need every penny that theirs to make ends meet.
The optimism I usually have is clouded by the reality that the economy is going to get worse before it gets better. Even if they institute this county increase of a 1/4 %, in 6 months to a year, they will be right where they are now because retail sales will continue to decline and the increase in tax won't be enough to keep the services afloat.
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skillet30
Regular Forum Member
214 Posts |
Posted - Oct 02 2009 : 12:27:31 PM
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I think the Comissioners should sell the land that they bought by the Fairgrounds. That was a pretty bad choice in my book. I think they bought it for around $650,000.00 just to keep someone from building a housing development? They used this and another excuse stating that the fairgrounds may need to expand (for what?).
If they would sell the land to the housing developer, wouldn't that generate more money for the county in property taxes? Better than the land just sitting around where the county will have to spend more money to keep it mowed.
I'm for the 1/4% sales tax increase. I went to Walmart today and with my purchases and the proposed sales tax increase if it was inacted would of been a whopping 7 cents more. I'm pretty sure most people would never notice this very minimal increase. Also a sales tax is going to get money from a wider spectrum than just home owners, Your going to get money from people who rent, college students, people who come from out of county to shop, etc.
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aproudamerican
Regular Forum Member
373 Posts |
Posted - Oct 02 2009 : 1:21:29 PM
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AHHHHH skillet
I think you hit the nail on the head. But let’s not stop there. The land they purchased for $600,000+ only to keep 20 or 30 $200,000+ homes from being built and generating more property tax income was very foolish. But did you know that the County Auditor only appraised it at $166,660 on her web site. Funny thing they didn't put the price they paid for it on the site??? Are we ashamed of this purchase price??? Also lets talk about the bridges to nowhere and on and on and on...What we need to do is shore up what we have with the 1/4% sales tax and then we need some kind of citizen oversight committee to review what the commissioners spend money on and report it to the media. They like to say things are paid with grants, but most grants require you to front a portion . I would much rather raise the sales tax to 7% myself then they could drop the property tax a little. This would be more fair for the property owners...I don't and I'm sure most of other Knox county citizens don't think about the sales tax difference when they go to Mansfield, Polaris, Columbus and other counties to purchase items. They all have higher sales taxes then we do....I'm sure after we come out of this crisis we will all be watching more closely where the money goes.
A Proud American |
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asd
New Forum Member
USA
11 Posts |
Posted - Oct 02 2009 : 8:47:09 PM
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Does the living with in their "means" mean people in general or the county budget?
Has anybody taken into consideration inflation?
Do we raise the sales tax percentage or do we lay off/unemploy more people and drive unemployment up and keep driving sales down?
As long as people have jobs they spend money maybe not as much as we used to, because we are trying to live with in the "means" more now than we ever have. I don't think that this is something to get angry over I strongly belive that this is an issue that reflects the future of this country. We are strong, We are United, This may seem small now but I think the big picture is yet to be painted. If we try to understand how each department budget opperated maybe we could see how this whole thing should/might work out? I think that in the coming weeks with the Heads of each department meeting with the commissioners more things will come to light and there will be a better understanding of what and where money is spent.
This is a list of county offices that I found. Does each one of these office get money from the general fund? If they do then I could see where 6.5 million could fund, after you take into consideration salary/benefits. Could someone shed more light on this?
Opportunity Knox Employment, OSU Extension, Air Port, Park District, Auditor, Probate/Juvenile Court, Board of Elections, Prosecutor, Clerk of Courts, Recorder, Commissioners, Records Center, Common Pleas Court, Recycling Center, Regional Planning Office, Coroner, Dog Shelter/Animal Control, Sheriff, Emergency Management, Soil Conservation, Engineer, Tax Map Department, Health Department, Treasurer, Jobs and Family Services, Veteran Services, Juvenile Probation, Victim Assistance, Water/Wastewater.
If this is correct then we would be saving a TON of peoples jobs/familes/livelyhood.
Thanks
asd |
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curious mind
Senior Forum Member
19922 Posts |
Posted - Oct 02 2009 : 9:22:08 PM
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Ignore NRM - he doesn't even live here - he has his own agenda - which serves only his outlook - not anyone's in Knox County.................
<yawn> 
"You might have to fight a battle more than once to win it" - Margaret Thatcher
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cateyes
Senior Forum Member
USA
2930 Posts |
Posted - Oct 02 2009 : 9:50:14 PM
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NRM may not live here..but he is stating facts....WHEN was the last time you ever saw gov roll back taxes??/ so when they are put in place..they stay FOREVER.. and usually it is not long..til they come back to ask for more...then what??
First, as far as law enforement.. the sheriff needs to prove to us...WHY he needs what he says he does...if he can show cause..then that needs addressed..
Second...neighberhood watches need to come into place..real ones...organizted ones..as they have in many others areas to curb crime...working in conjuction WITH LE...with LE holding meetings and helping to organise these..and rules for what to do and when..
I have been on these in other areas...it can work here..but only with US being willing to pull shifts to assist LE..
This is OUR COMMUNITY..and WE need to be invovled...to help US thru this time....IF this is done properly...it allows LE not to have to run all over about nothings..but focus on important issues that LE need to address.
It is well know...good neighood watchs help PREVENT crime...crooks would rather go to an area where they are none. Prevention also saves gas..to the LE isnt just driviing around watching for crime....the watchs handle much of that..then call when assistance is needed or crime in progress.
Anyone heard our city police saying much about his budget..and how is it being addressed??
just how is the city budget over all...anyone know?? any cutbacks going into place..in any departments??
“On every unauthoritative exercise of power by the legislature must the people rise in rebellion or their silence be construed into a surrender of that power to them? If so, how many rebellions should we have had already?” —Thomas Jefferson
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rozee
Regular Forum Member
366 Posts |
Posted - Oct 02 2009 : 10:51:36 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by curious mind
Ignore NRM - he doesn't even live here - he has his own agenda - which serves only his outlook - not anyone's in Knox County.................
<yawn>
"You might have to fight a battle more than once to win it" - Margaret Thatcher
I just keep wondering why he insists everyone donate money to the city when it's the COUNTY that is in financial trouble and discussing a sales tax increase - as well as being the topic of this thread.
Debbie Henthorn |
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asd
New Forum Member
USA
11 Posts |
Posted - Oct 02 2009 : 10:55:56 PM
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One of the things that could be cut in the future is the community relations operations at the Sheriff's office, community relations is in charge of neighbourhood watch progams in the county. If this is cut or suspened there will be no professionally trained LE personel to help train people willing to be in a neighbourhood watch programs. Along with community relations is self-defence classes held for the general public.
asd |
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Carlos
Regular Forum Member
195 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2009 : 06:53:11 AM
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| IF asd has correct information about what the cuts would mean I think a temporary sales tax is acceptable. I would like to hear from Sammy on this topic. She should have insight as to what a 20% cut would really mean and what 14 people laid off would impact. |
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cochese
New Forum Member
6 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2009 : 5:14:43 PM
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| this really worries me, i do not want this county to end up like morrow county. i watched a news report the other day about how in marengo there have been 3 or more armed robberies that happened with in days of each other. its like the wild west there! It has basically gotten to the point that all the sheriff's office can do is take a report and move on, there is no one there to even investigate anything. I certainly am not excited to pay any more taxes but i also do not want criminals stealing anything they want with no one there to stop them. I think if 1/4 % sales tax would keep the sheriff's office and the courts and county prosecutors office fully staffed and running full time it is well worth the few extra cents. |
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cochese
New Forum Member
6 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2009 : 9:07:26 PM
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| nothing, i am not saying that having the staffing deters all crimes, all i am saying is that criminals will never get caught if no one is there to investigate crimes. i do not know if the cuts will make it less safe and secure here. "our leaders" do not seem to say how the cuts will be handed out. the last article i read stated that the prosecutors office was talking about 4 day work weeks and "the leaders" seemed upset by this. not sure what they expect with limited funding something has to give. |
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aproudamerican
Regular Forum Member
373 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2009 : 10:07:47 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by NothingReallyMatters
Really? That is a bunch of hogwash...They can cut the budget and keep the cops operating. Your leaders determined that a 20% cut WOULD NOT impeed safety or maybe they would have closed the library or something so folks aren't being robbed at gunpoint.
These "1 post" scare tactics are for the birds...
If you think staffing stops armed robberies then you are 100% stoned
NRM If you have information on how they can makes these cuts and still "keep the cops operating" then please meet with the commissioners and explain it to them because apparently they dont....
A Proud American |
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