Trending
STEUBENVILLE -- Auditor E.J. Conn delivered his budget projections for 2027 to Jefferson County commissioners Thursday, telling them he has "serious concerns."
Conn said the proposed general fund operating budget -- $25,563,851 -- exceeds estimated general fund revenues of $19,167,261 by more than $6 million.
"Nineteen million dollars' worth of revenue can't support a $25 million budget," Conn said. "I'd like to meet with department heads and figure out how to navigate this."
Conn said the proposed budget is about $1.5 million higher than funding requests for the current budget year, while revenues are expected to decline significantly.
"Our conservative estimate is that revenues will be down roughly $600,000," he said. "Oil and gas values have gone down steadily in recent years, adult jail bed rental fees have not been what they once were and interest earned is not expected to be as high as we've seen."
He told commissioners he would like to meet with department heads to "try to figure out how to navigate this."
"Ideally, that meeting is put together within the next two to three weeks," he said. "Unfortunately, spending increases can't continue at the pace that they have in the past. I am confident that budget cuts will be necessary. Starting that process earlier than usual will help us get a head start on that process and provide time to implement changes prior to the beginning of calendar year 2027."
Commissioners last year unsuccessfully urged department heads to tighten their budgets, with only a few trimming spending requests to preserve cash.
Conn said the revenue projections "will continue to be adjusted as we see how the rest of this year plays out in terms of revenues collected."
"It's a serious concern that will need to be addressed prior to the start of 2027," he said. "Potential real estate tax revenue reductions or loss remains a major concern for me as well."
Commissioners also endorsed an application for Opportunity Zone designations developed with input from city, village and county leaders.
"We ended up applying for three opportunity zones in Jefferson County," Commissioner Tony Morelli said. "From what I've heard there was very good collaboration. … It's very heartening to see the community coming together for the greater good."
Opportunity zones are economically distressed census tracts where private investors can receive tax incentives for investing capital in local businesses and real estate. Applications are due Friday, and the governor has until Sept. 29 to nominate census tracts for federal consideration.
The prioritization committee -- which included Steubenville City Manager Mike Johnson, Mingo Junction Mayor Judy Ruckman, Toronto Mayor John Parker, Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission Executive Director Mike Paprocki and Jefferson County Port Authority Executive Director Robert Naylor -- recommended prioritizing a tract in Steubenville that extends from Belleview Pool through Franciscan University to South Street.
The committee also is seeking Opportunity Zone status for an area beginning at South Street and extending into Pleasant Heights, including the former Tidewater property, as well as a third site encompassing part of Steubenville Township and extending south into Mingo Junction, including much of the JSW Steel property.
"If it does get nominated, you're looking at a large tract of land in Jefferson County," Paprocki said.
As expected, commissioners declined to pay bills submitted by two subcontractors who performed work associated with a State Route 213 water line relocation that was not authorized, advertised for bids or assigned a funding source.
The unpaid invoices were from Ron Holmes for $1,500 and TS Electric for $18,566.
Morelli and Commissioner Eric Timmons last week delayed action on the invoices until Commissioner Jake Kleineke could weigh in, citing Conn's previous warning that the county cannot legally pay bills associated with the project until the Ohio Auditor of State resolves the matter. Conn has said Ohio law prohibits him from paying the invoices without direction from the court.
Because the prosecutor's office represents the county water service, each commissioner retained separate legal counsel.
In other business, commissioners:
-- Signed a letter of support for the Community Action Council's application for a BlackRock Future Builders grant to assist first-year students at St. Joseph the Worker College and IBEW Local 246. The council hopes to secure funding to help cover tuition, purchase basic tools, provide utility assistance to reduce barriers to program completion, and purchase equipment and instructional resources to increase enrollment capacity and enhance hands-on training opportunities.
In their letter, commissioners said the funding would "expand access to education and workforce opportunities for students entering high-demand trade fields such as HVAC, plumbing, carpentry and electrical work."
-- Passed a resolution to place a renewal levy for community programs and services operated by the Jefferson County Board of Developmental Disabilities on the November ballot.
-- Approved changes to the capital improvements sublease agreement with the Eastern Ohio Correctional Center to reflect additional Department of Rehabilitation and Correction funding for the fiscal year that ended June 30.
"Many community-based corrections facilities around the state could not spend (their) capital money so we lobbied and we received $231,000, but that's for both our facilities. Today we're talking about Jefferson County's facility -- we received about $149,000 for projects that include (upgrading) some of our technology systems, upgrading our bathroom ventilation, repairing ceilings, upgrading showers and tile, replacing air conditioning as well as garbage disposal," EOCC Executive Director Phil Nunes said. "There are bonds on our facility and every time we take capital dollars we have to renew our lease with each county."
Nunes said he expects to return in a few months "because the new fiscal year started July 1 and we put in for more than $800,000 in new projects for the next two years."
-- Acting on the recommendation of the county engineer, awarded contracts for the County Road 45 Ohio Public Works Commission resurfacing project and the County Road 8 and township OPWC resurfacing project to Shelly & Sands of Rayland. The company submitted the low bids of $1,002,860 for the County Road 45 project and $1,069,858 for the County Road 8 and township work.
-- Accepted the resignation of Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor Aaron Dodds from the OMEGA board. Dodds said professional and personal commitments have made it impossible for him to "devote the time and attention necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of this appointment to the best of my ability."
-- Reappointed Ed Florak to the Area Agency on Aging Region 9 board.
-- Renewed the annual VMware support contract for county servers for $18,219.
-- Approved the purchase of four new computers for $4,772. Treasurer Brian Scarpone said the existing computers "can no longer be updated and could become a security issue in the near future."