May 8, 2011
Projected losses in local government funds
County to host town-hall meetings By LIN RICE ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Representatives of Union County’s government, school districts and county agencies are taking their concerns to their constituents regarding projected losses in local government funds. The county on May 5 began a series of town-hall meetings to discuss changes in
local funding proposed in the state budget, warning residents that drastic changes in county and local services could be on the horizon. County officials estimate about $20 million in cuts countywide with the proposed changes in the state budget. “To put the impact to Union County in perspective, the cuts proposed by the governor would be equivalent to the cost of operating Marysville High School, or the Union
County Sheriff’s Office or a fire department,” commissioner Steve Stolte said. “We cannot allow the governor to balance the state budget on the backs of hardworking Union County residents.” For several months, a committee comprising county commissioners, county agency directors and school district personnel has
A closer look The first meeting will be held May 11 at Fairbanks High School, 11158 state Route 38, Milford Center, followed by a May 17 meeting at North Union High School, 401 N. Franklin St., Richwood, and May 18 at Marysville High School, 800 Amrine Mill Road, Marysville. Meetings will begin at 7 p.m.
See COUNTY TO HOST, page A2
Pleasant to focus on ‘balance’ on council By LIN RICE ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Former Marysville city council president Ed Pleasant recently was appointed to council to fill the remainder of (now Mayor) John Gore’s at-large seat. ThisWeek Marysville asked Pleasant about his plans to accomplish while in office. Excerpts from his answers follow:
Photos by Paul Vernon/ThisWeek
(Above) The Marysville Board of Education held a special meeting at Bunsold Middle School on May 2 to discuss finances and compensations. (Below) Cathy Alder, left, a fifth-grade teacher at Creekview Intermediate School, listens to the presentation.
Quite a bit of turnover has been going on with Marysville and Union County leadership lately. Is that something you’ve experienced before, and how do you plan to ensure a smooth transition? With my experience in the past with school boards, this sort of thing would happen periodically. I think, by and large, unless there’s a 180-degree shift in the council’s emphasis, which I don’t think is happening here, you have to kind of shift accordingly. John’s style of leadership will be different from (former mayor) Chris’ (Schmenk), but they have similar goals. I see myself, with a background in chemistry and science, as trying to use logical decisions for
Merit pay or annual raises
See PLEASANT, page A2
Board trying to get handle on options Jerome Township promises fiscal responsibility with fire levy win
By JIM FISCHER ThisWeek Community Newspapers
The method used for determining Marysville teachers’ compensation likely will change in the next school year. The extent of the change remains unclear, though, following the Marysville school board’s discussion on the topic May 2. The board is looking into the compensation package for district employees because of anticipated revenue shortfalls resulting from state budget cuts for public schools. In addition, the Senate Bill 5 “merit pay” provision and restrictions on public employees’ abilities to negotiate might change the district’s salary schedule. “It seems likely that teacher and administrator compensation will be tied to performance,” board president Jeff Mabee said, adding that school districts are waiting for the state to formalize the application of merit pay while leaving some discretion to local districts. The bill calls for the creation of this framework by year’s end, with adoption by local districts by July 2012. While supporting the merit-pay concept, board member Doug Lassiter said he remains concerned about “sustainability,” whether raises come in the form of merit or annual increases. “Our current salary structure calls for neverending increases that are not constrained by revenue,” he said. “How in the future can we com-
By LIN RICE ThisWeek Community Newspapers
pensate staff in a way that provides sustainabil“We don’t control our revenues,” Mabee said. ity?” Treasurer Cindy Ritter explained Ohio’s propLassiter made the comparison to the “private erty-tax rollback, which caps the amount a tax sector,” where, he said, reductions in revenue often are met with reductions in pay or bonuses. See OPTIONS, page A3
DIRECTORY
Jerome Township fire personnel will welcome new funds from township residents for fire service following voters’approval of a fire levy on the May 3 ballot. Still, the township faces an up-hill battle. According to unofficial results from the Union County Board of Elections, 610 (57.7 percent) voted for the levy, and 447 (42.3 percent) voted against it. Of the 3,773 voters registered in the seven precincts, 1,241 turned out to vote in the special election, with 1,057 casting votes on the fire levy. Jerome Township firefighter Justin French, who has been organizing community outreach leading up to the election, said the fire department greatly appreciates the community’s vote of confidence. “We will work hard and continue to provide the best fire and EMS service in a fiscally responsible manner,” French said after the learning about See ELECTION RESULTS, page A2
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