Health department levy vote hits snag

SANDUSKY — The Erie County Health Department's efforts to get a renewal levy on the Nov. 3 general election ballot have hit a snag — and time is running out to get it fixed. Health department officials thought they were all set after the Erie County Ccmmissioners had voted 2-1 a few weeks ago to put the issue on the ballot. But the Ohio Secretary of State's office caught a mistake in the ballot language. Commissioners Pat Shenigo and Steve Shoffner voted to put the levy on the ballot, while Matt Old voted "no." The health department is seeking a fall vote on a renewal levy, which would not raise taxes. The 0.2-mill, five-year levy brings in about $650,000 a year. Information submitted by the Erie County auditor's office showed that the renewal levy would cost $4.50 a year for a home worth $100,000 in value. The problem is that state law requires that number to be rounded to the nearest dollar, in this case, $5, said Jason Hinners, an assistant prosecutor who advises local governments. The mistake doesn't affect the actual levy, but it does require the Erie County commissioners to vote on the matter again. That has to happen soon, as the deadline for the Erie County election board to get the matter submitted to it in time for November is Aug. 5, election board director Alex Jones said. The commissioners already have discussed the matter once, but they took no action. They are scheduled to meet again on Monday and on Wednesday. "We would have to rescind our previous resolution and then approve a new one," Shoffner said. "The agenda for our Monday and Wednesday meetings and whether or not a resolution is laid on the table would ultimately come from (Shenigo.) I believe there is a resolution prepared, and my position has not changed from our previous vote." Explaining why the commissioners have not acted yet, Old said, "We asked the auditor's office to check with Columbus and make sure their calculations are correct before we reconsider the levy. I'm not sure what the board plans to do." Shenigo said that the commissioners want to clarify one point. "We're waiting to hear back from the state. Our belief is the auditor did it correctly, and they're asking us to round up, so Caleb's checking on it," said Shenigo, referring to Caleb Stidham, the Erie County treasurer. Pete Schade, Erie County's health commissioner, said he hopes the commissioners act soon and approve the levy again. "I don't think this should be that difficult to approve the language," he said. Erie County auditor Rick Jeffrey said his office did make a mistake, but it's a minor matter, and it was quickly corrected. The rules on the form the auditor's office turned in have repeatedly changed in recent years, "and we just missed it," Jeffrey said. He said Hinners is correct and that the amount of tax is supposed to be listed as a whole number, without any fractions. "Mistakes happen, and we saw it and fixed it. It's a clerical fix." Jeffrey said in his opinion, the Erie County commissioners should "do the right thing. Pass it through and move on." More levies impacted The Erie County auditor's office also failed to round off the number for the amount per $100,000 value of a home for four other levies that are proposed for the November ballot, Jones said. Those levies are: • An additional levy for Sandusky Schools, • A bond issue for Margaretta Schools • A renewal levy for Margaretta Township • A renewal levy for Bay View Corrected paperwork has been submitted by the two Margaretta entities, and it's in the works for Bay View, Jones said. On Thursday, however, the superintendent for Sandusky's school system, Dennis Muratori, said that the paperwork issue has been fixed, with the relevant figure rounded up, and it's been submitted to the election board. Jeffrey said he leans toward the view that the health department mistake was fixed in time, too, and that the commissioners might not need to act, but added, "that's for an attorney to decide."