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Auditor says county shows upward swing
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - April 18, 2012)
Auditor says county shows upward swing
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
Geauga County is surviving better than most in a tough economic climate, and signs such as new housing are beginning to point upward again.
That was the message delivered by Geauga County Auditor Frank Gliha last week in his "State of the County" address before Geauga County Commissioners.
"We think it's bad, but we're doing better than surrounding counties," Mr. Gliha said, citing unemployment figures. While Geauga's unemployment rate is not where he's like to see it, he said, at 6.5 percent, it's better than Ashtabula, Lake, Cuyahoga, Portage, Summit and Trumbull counties. He said Ashabula is dealing with a 10.6 percent unemployment rate, while the others range from 7.1 percent to 9.6 percent.
Meanwhile, there are several aspects of Geauga's economy that it can be proud of, Mr. Gliha said. The county retains a high rating for its debt obligations, which has resulted in savings.
He said the rating has allowed the county to reduce its interest on a $3 million bond for the Geauga County Safety Center. In 2009, he said, the county paid $44,296 in interest on that debt. In 2010, the debt was $2.5 million, and the county paid $18,475 in interest. In 2011, he said, the county will pay $12,884 in interest on a $2 million note.
On another positive note, the county is experiencing an uptick in property transfers, rising from 2,994 in 2010 to 3,267 in 2011, Mr. Gliha said. Housing starts also appear to be on the rebound with the county seeing double the number this year compared to last, he said. And Geauga County has a foreclosure rate that is lowest among surrounding counties, he said.
The county has held strong on health-care costs, actually reducing them by 1 percent this year, he said. Holding down those costs has enabled the county to maintain its workforce, Mr. Gliha said.
Sales taxes also have been rebounding for the county, he said. This year, projections show the county collecting a little over $11 million in sales taxes, a figure reminiscent of collections before the recession, he said. The figures had hovered around $10.4 million the last two years.
Mr. Gliha cited a county health assessment which showed Geauga County retaining its second-place ranking among the healthiest counties in Ohio.
The county's general fund has increased by 11.95 percent for 2012, although some of that increase can be attributed to departments spending less last year than they were allocated, Mr. Gliha said. This year's general fund revenues are expected to provide more than $26 million.
Some news is not so good. Mr. Gliha said the state is cutting local government funds, which once provided the county with as much as $1.2 million. That figure is expected to slide to an all-time low of $741,497 this year, and there are no guarantees for the future, he said. "We think it will continue, but we don't know."
In addition, estate taxes, once a windfall for local governments, are ending this year, he noted.
A share of tax revenues from casinos being built in the state will be shared, but Mr. Gliha said it is unknown at this time how much of a share the county will see.
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