Logan County is still recovering from the financial hit of the pandemic and the shutdowns of the spring of 2020, but is poised for strong future growth and development, the Logan County Commissioners told those in attendance during the Legislative Impact Meeting hosted by the Logan County Chamber of Commerce, resuming the in-person tradition Tuesday morning.
Despite the recent challenges, the county commission and Logan County Chamber President/CEO Ben Vollrath highlighted a number of new business ventures that have sprung up in the last year and have fared well through local ingenuity and community support, along with assistance from Logan County Health District personnel to navigate safe operating practices.
“Thanks for everything you’ve done to help us prosper and thrive during the pandemic, and bringing new ideas to the table,” Commissioner Joe Antram said told those in attendance at the Bellefontaine High School Distance Learning Center, which included community members, business and agency representatives and other office holders.
The commissioners reported while the county’s general fund budget is estimated at $15.5 million, the COVID-19 shutdowns in the spring of 2020 created a loss of approximately $1.4 million, which is still being felt today, with county employees still being cut back on hours by 10 percent.
“It takes years before you finally get over that hump,” Commissioner Paul Benedetti said. “We were finally recovering from the recession in 2008 and 2009.”
Budgetary cutbacks previously felt in the last year included reduced office hours at county offices, along with temporary lay-offs and furloughs at the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, including for patrol deputies and corrections staff, with those personnel brought back in July 2020.
Relating to public safety services, a resident asked the commissioners during a question and answer portion of the meeting regarding how the county can improve pay for those employees at the sheriff’s office, so that there is less turnover and so that citizens’ safety is being protected while the county makes plans for growth and development.
Bendetti said while funding of the sheriff’s office encompasses a significant portion of the general fund budget and there isn’t a lot of wiggle room, alternatives being looked at to provide additional funding to the agency, including through the county’s 1/2-percent sales tax.
The ballot issue will appear before voters in November as a continuation of the current tax in place, which was last passed in November 2016 and before that had been in place for 20 years. The issue would not raise the Logan County sales tax rate, but would continue with the same 0.5 percent added to the state rate of 6.75 percent, for a total of 7.25 percent sales tax.
Currently, the Logan County Engineer’s Office receives 50 percent of these funds from this 1/2-percent sales tax to pay for materials and contract services for road, bridges and storm water improvement in the road rights-of-way.
With the upcoming ballot issue, Benedetti said they are looking at re-allocating dollars for the sales tax so that 25 percent of funds would go to the Logan County Sheriff’s Office and 25 percent to the engineer’s office (with the engineer’s office recently becoming eligible for other sources of funding).
Additionally, 20 percent would be designated for township projects and 20 percent for municipal projects relating to roads, bridges and storm water improvements and etc.
The remaining 10 percent would be used for economic development purposes.
Commissioner Mark Robinson also discussed upcoming federal funding through the American Rescue Plan, with Logan County slated to receive $8.7 million during the next four years.
“We are still looking at all of the guidelines for the funding, but we are hoping that one of the ways we can use the funds is to increase access to broadband Internet in the rural areas of our county,” he said. “That’s such an issue that’s become apparent as more people have had to work from home and do school work from home during the past year.”
Sewer projects also are on tap in the county during the next year, including improvements and upgrades to the Orchard Island system and the Lewistown expansion that will be taking place later in the fall. Additionally, a major sewer project currently in the design and engineering stages is the East Liberty area regional sewage system to accommodate expected growth on the east side of the county along the U.S. 33 corridor.
In addition to the legislative session Tuesday, the commissioners host open forum sessions from 9:30 to 10 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday at their 117 E. Columbus Ave. office.
Individuals can stop by in-person to speak with the commission about county issues and concerns, with no appointment needed.