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Worries about how Trumbull County commissioners will make up a looming $2 million annual loss in the Trumbull County budget are being put on hold -- at least for this year and next.
Since 2009, the county has relied on about $2 million a year generated by a Medicaid Managed Care organization sales tax; however, a 2014 decision from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is ending the practice.
In response, the state of Ohio will make up most of the loss this year and next. But that doesn't mean commissioners should rest on their laurels since it remains unclear how the county will make up the lost revenue after 2018.
Now is the time for commissioners to begin looking for ways to consolidate, cut and operate with increased efficiency. Commissioners need not look too far for suggestions because the Citizens Budget Review Committee, a group they appointed to analyze county finances, has already produced 19 cost-cutting ideas.
Unfortunately, none of the ideas -- released in June -- have been implemented, and when asked about it last week, Commissioner Frank Fuda sounded like he already has decided that several of that committee's suggestions won't work. Rather, Fuda said he believes a look at a sales tax increase and / or layoffs might be the only solutions to the county's tightening budget.
In the area of personnel, the Budget Review Committee had suggested things like eliminating the county's contribution to employee retirement accounts, which can reach up to an astounding 90 percent of employee's portion; eliminating allowing employees to cash out unused sick and vacation time upon retirement; finding ways to renegotiate growing health care costs; and requiring employees to actually work eight hours per day, rather than the 6.5 hours per day they work now, including their paid lunch and breaks.
Fuda's response? He thinks the suggestions might make Trumbull County an unappealing place to work. And even though it's commissioners that ultimately approve labor contracts for employees, Fuda said it's up to the contract negotiators, not the commissioners, to tighten up employee benefits.
"If we start taking away all of these benefits, no one would want to work here anymore. Why would they?" Fuda said.
Really? We feel certain that full-time positions with good working conditions, the promise of a pension plan and excellent health care coverage -- even if the employee is required to contribute to it -- would be pretty inviting for most job-seekers.
Some of the committee's other suggestions included auditing utility consumption; considering centralized purchasing; properly maintaining a permanent improvement fund; analyzing fees and assessments charged for services the county provides to outside agencies and communities; and attending "Lean Ohio Boot Camp," a management training program for the public sector.
Only after the group's other 18 recommendations were implemented would the group recommend a half-percent sales tax increase in conjunction with a property tax reduction.
Fellow Commissioner Dan Polivka called Fuda's comments about potential tax increases and layoffs a "scare tactic," and said the taxpayers want accountability and expect elected officials to do more with less.
We agree and hope commissioners use this two-year bandage being provided by the state as an opportunity to work aggressively and with great urgency to find ways to cut costs and increase efficiencies.
Any consideration for an increased sales tax should come only as a last resort and only with the approval of the voters at the polls.
editorial@tribtoday.com