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Committee proposed to find revenue
Published 9:31am Friday, January 18, 2013Utility tax could be possible option
An ad hoc committee to review instituting a utility tax and other options for increasing county revenue could be named in the next month.
Lawrence County Commissioner Bill Pratt proposed setting up the committee at Thursday’s commission meeting.
Two possible ways to bring in more revenue could be the utility tax or a levy on property owners. With a utility tax, the commission could impose a fee of up to 2 percent of the consumer bills on electric, natural gas and landline telephone.
With a utility tax, consumers could regulate the amount of tax they pay as they regulate their utility use, Pratt said.
Another possible revenue source could be a levy on the ballot to fund the sheriff’s office including the jail operation. Voters, not the commission, would decide if that levy would be imposed on all property owners.
Within the past two years, levies for senior citizens, Collins Career Center renovation and Ironton recreation have been on the ballot with only the vocational school getting voter acceptance.
In other action the commissioners:
• Approved landslide work on County Road 30 and County Road 52;
• Reappointed Kevin Turvey as 2013 apiary inspector at a salary of $2,000;
• Reappointed Commissioner Les Boggs to the Ohio Valley Resource Conservation and Development Board;
• Approved a request by Boy Scout Troop No. 115 for a Chesapeake boat ramp project.
Lay off more deputies and use their salaries to improve the jail. Lay off South Point Police, since their only function is to hide and pull over taxpayers on their way to work and school at the intersection of Solida and Sand Roads. And lay off Chesapeake police since their only function is to hide and pull over taxpayers approaching the 6th Street Bridge. Welcome the Ohio Highway Patrol into Ironton, they do a great job patrolling South Point and Chesapeake and aren’t Barney Fiffe wannabes.
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Those of us in the far north are on our own for assistance.Why pay for something that we don’t get.The commissioners that voted to give the 911 back to the sheriff are the same ones that caused the mess at the fair grounds.Look where that got us.A utility fee is a way to tax us without allowing us to vote.Some democracy we live in.
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So the plan is, if one runs out of money you just get more?
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However, classes continue as normal at the CCC as construction crews work to expand the school’s facilities. Jim Howard, CCC principal said the situation has been tough, but will be more than worth it in the end.
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Property owners have plenty more money. Aren’t they the ones that hold down a job, or retired so others can have a good life with no obligations?
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Possession of drugs, drug paraphernalia — Collins Career Center, Chesapeake, Jan. 16, student allegedly had a bag of marijuana and a pipe, juvenile taken to Lawrence County Detention Center.
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We are three weeks into the new year and look at all this trouble. Beginning to think the Sheriff’s budget should be handled by the Auditor as he has run out of money just three weeks in and gave out layoff slips. It used to be you would run your office until money got close before issueing cutbacks and asking for more funds. I wonder who will play Les in the TV movie? Some villian no doubt.
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I find it hard to believe that there aren’t better candidates to be had, from either party, or an independent run. There has to be more intelligent people
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The commission is a joke, how about we vote in the experts next time we have an election, instead of the peons that we have in there now.
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A blue ribbon commission, sounds like a wonderful idea. Smoke and mirrors my friends, some and mirrors.
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Let’s see….the County Commissioners want to collect a 2 percent utility fee….the Ironton Board of Education is looking at a 2 percent utility fee….Can Ironton City Council, the Township Trustees, the Vocational School, Open Door School, litter control agency, CAO, senior citizens be far behind?????????
One question: Just where the h-e double hockey sticks does it end????
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as a home owner I have watched my property taxes triple in the past 10 years. TRIPLE!!! and now you suggest hitting on the homeowners for even more!?!?!? You have got to be farking kidding!!! Water bill unbelieveably high, could not get police action when someone shot out my front picture windows storm glass. Could not get the city to respond when the neighbors car was broken into although we even told them we ourselves were chasing the sob! Passing laws without a KNOWN issue (really how many do you think really voted on can you smoke in a bar?) Frivolous spending left and right. (city vehicles for personal use) waste waste waste and you have the audacity to try to force more money from people struggling to make it already? Brilliant! Tyranny is not dead I tell you.
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I agree. BUT, I’m a big fan of having a safe community, so much for spilled milk. I say let’s not cut our nose off to spite our face. If we don’t maintain our safety and protection, we all suffer, not the leaders.
I’m not saying they’re perfect, I’m just saying we need them. We can deal with improving things at another time, or not, I just want to see the right thing done now.
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Love how everything was hunky dory prior to the election, and now they want to raise taxes. Damn these tax and spend republicans…wait, what?
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