Schools get first installment on 2017 sales tax
County districts share $3.2 million quarterly disbursement
Transit Director Mike Salamone (right) reported a 12 percent drop in ridership on county buses last year to County Administrator Scott Miller and county commissioners. Photo by GLENN WOJCIAK
MEDINA – County commissioners authorized the distribution of $3.2 million in sales tax revenue collected in October, November and December for capital improvements in school districts around the county.
The $3.2 million approved by commissioners Jan. 17 equals the amount distributed to schools last January but is down about $200,000 from amounts collected and distributed in October and May of last year.
County Finance Director Mike Pataky has projected the sales tax will generate about $13.2 million this year up from the $12.8 million projected in 2016.
Area schools have been benefiting from sales tax revenue since county voters approved the half-percent tax in 2007, making Medina the only county in Ohio to pass a sales tax for capital improvements in public schools.
The funds from the sales tax are awarded proportionally based on the number of students enrolled in each school district. The money is divided between the county’s seven public school districts and the Medina County Career Center. Small percentages also were awarded to the Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities and Rittman and Norwayne school districts, which serve small sections of the county.
Since school districts are not empowered to collect sales taxes themselves, the Community Improvement Board was created to distribute those funds on behalf of the schools with assistance from the County Finance Department.
Following is a list of the approximate sales tax amounts going to each school district in the first quarterly disbursement of 2017:
• Black River — $62,000
• Brunswick – $833,000
• Buckeye – $277,000
• Cloverleaf – $279,000
• Career Center – $111,000
• Highland – $363,000
• Medina MCBDD Board – $34,200
• Medina – $784,000
• Norwayne – $7,000
• Rittman – $2,000
• Wadsworth – $548,000
Transit ridership
Ridership on Medina County Public Transit buses dipped 12 percent in 2016, according to a report compiled by Transit Director Mike Salamone.
Salamone told county commissioners MCPT provided trips to 56,100 riders last year with most those trips (39,380) taken via the county’s on-demand service in which riders call in advance to schedule pickup. Another 16,720 trips took place on MCPT buses traveling fixed routes in Medina and Wadsworth.
MCPT cut expenses a year ago by reducing the number and times buses were operating last year which Salamone said was a big contributor to the drop in ridership from 2015 to 2016. Elimination of one of the bus routes in Wadsworth is likely to result in another dip in ridership in 2017.
Salamone also reported ridership on the Brunswick Transit Alternative dropped 6.9 percent in 2016. BTA buses carried 28,411 passengers on fixed routes last year. A recent merger between MCPT and BTA will give the county full control of BTA services this year.
Gas prices
Ports Petroleum was awarded a contract to sell the Medina County Engineering Center 7,300 gallons of regular unleaded gasoline for $1.56 per gallon.
Jail counseling
Alternative Paths Inc. was awarded a contract to provide comprehensive mental health and substance abuse counseling to inmates at the County Jail this year for $259,000.
Appointees
Pat Geissman was designated to be Medina County’s representative to the County Commissioners Association of Ohio in 2017.
Commissioners also made 13 appointments to the Emergency Planning Committee for Medina County. Those appointees include Brunswick Fire Chief Jim Baird, Sheriff Tom Miller, County Commissioner Adam Friedrick, Emergency Management Agency Director Christina Fozio, Transit Director Mike Salamone, Greg Smith, William Ryan, Susan Netzly-Watkins, Dave Rickon, Mark Albrecht and Buck Adams.
Personnel expenses
Commissioners authorized the expenses for several county employees to attend a series of out-of-town meetings and seminars. Among those expenses were $1,600 for a deputy auditor to attend a four-day conference on pictometry in Nashville, $975 for two building officials to attend a three-day conference in Columbus, and $450 for the director of the Office for Older Adults to attend a two-day conference in Columbus.
The $3.2 million approved by commissioners Jan. 17 equals the amount distributed to schools last January but is down about $200,000 from amounts collected and distributed in October and May of last year.
County Finance Director Mike Pataky has projected the sales tax will generate about $13.2 million this year up from the $12.8 million projected in 2016.
Area schools have been benefiting from sales tax revenue since county voters approved the half-percent tax in 2007, making Medina the only county in Ohio to pass a sales tax for capital improvements in public schools.
The funds from the sales tax are awarded proportionally based on the number of students enrolled in each school district. The money is divided between the county’s seven public school districts and the Medina County Career Center. Small percentages also were awarded to the Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities and Rittman and Norwayne school districts, which serve small sections of the county.
Since school districts are not empowered to collect sales taxes themselves, the Community Improvement Board was created to distribute those funds on behalf of the schools with assistance from the County Finance Department.
Following is a list of the approximate sales tax amounts going to each school district in the first quarterly disbursement of 2017:
• Black River — $62,000
• Brunswick – $833,000
• Buckeye – $277,000
• Cloverleaf – $279,000
• Career Center – $111,000
• Highland – $363,000
• Medina MCBDD Board – $34,200
• Medina – $784,000
• Norwayne – $7,000
• Rittman – $2,000
• Wadsworth – $548,000
Transit ridership
Ridership on Medina County Public Transit buses dipped 12 percent in 2016, according to a report compiled by Transit Director Mike Salamone.
Salamone told county commissioners MCPT provided trips to 56,100 riders last year with most those trips (39,380) taken via the county’s on-demand service in which riders call in advance to schedule pickup. Another 16,720 trips took place on MCPT buses traveling fixed routes in Medina and Wadsworth.
MCPT cut expenses a year ago by reducing the number and times buses were operating last year which Salamone said was a big contributor to the drop in ridership from 2015 to 2016. Elimination of one of the bus routes in Wadsworth is likely to result in another dip in ridership in 2017.
Salamone also reported ridership on the Brunswick Transit Alternative dropped 6.9 percent in 2016. BTA buses carried 28,411 passengers on fixed routes last year. A recent merger between MCPT and BTA will give the county full control of BTA services this year.
Gas prices
Ports Petroleum was awarded a contract to sell the Medina County Engineering Center 7,300 gallons of regular unleaded gasoline for $1.56 per gallon.
Jail counseling
Alternative Paths Inc. was awarded a contract to provide comprehensive mental health and substance abuse counseling to inmates at the County Jail this year for $259,000.
Appointees
Pat Geissman was designated to be Medina County’s representative to the County Commissioners Association of Ohio in 2017.
Commissioners also made 13 appointments to the Emergency Planning Committee for Medina County. Those appointees include Brunswick Fire Chief Jim Baird, Sheriff Tom Miller, County Commissioner Adam Friedrick, Emergency Management Agency Director Christina Fozio, Transit Director Mike Salamone, Greg Smith, William Ryan, Susan Netzly-Watkins, Dave Rickon, Mark Albrecht and Buck Adams.
Personnel expenses
Commissioners authorized the expenses for several county employees to attend a series of out-of-town meetings and seminars. Among those expenses were $1,600 for a deputy auditor to attend a four-day conference on pictometry in Nashville, $975 for two building officials to attend a three-day conference in Columbus, and $450 for the director of the Office for Older Adults to attend a two-day conference in Columbus.