Preliminary sales tax revenues for Highland County continue to reflect a stable economy, according to figures county commissioner Terry Britton shared during Wednesday’s regular meeting.
“Last week, I said it was up about 25 percent with the non-automotive revenue,” he said, quoting figures from the Ohio Department of Taxation. “We got the automotive figures, and it’s up 24 percent from last year, and that’s good news.”
A feeling of normalcy returned to the mid-week conference, with the meeting relocating to the commissioners’ second-floor offices in the Highland County Administration Building for the first time since early April. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the commissioners met temporarily in a basement room in the building.
In other matters, two line item budget transfer resolutions were approved, in addition to authorizing a contractual agreement for a North Fifth Street drainage improvement project in Greenfield.
Britton addressed one of the resolutions in particular, a $100,000 budget modification request from Highland County Job and Family Services.
“That money was transferred into the Children Services Fund, so obviously they’re spending a lot of money on the children,” he said. “Our numbers were way up at the beginning of the year, up around 170-plus children, and that’s still an issue.”
Commissioner Gary Abernathy said that many of the issues facing children in foster care stem from the pandemic, which prevented caseworkers from conducting their normal visits both locally and throughout the state.
In other matters, commission president Jeff Duncan said a custodian had pointed out some issues “along the side of the building here,” and that a contractor had been contacted to address concerns with the facade separating from the side of the Highland County Administration Building in Hillsboro.
A total of seven contracts received commission approval Wednesday, five of which were customer service agreements between the commissioners and Rumpke for trash collection at five locations.
One contract between the commissioners, the Ohio Rail Development Commission and the village of Greenfield was approved for the Revitalizing Rail to Retain Jobs in Rural Ohio CRISI (Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements) Project.
Another dealt with an early intervention service coordination grant agreement between the commissioners, the Family and Children First Council (FCFC) and the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.
Also Wednesday, commissioners executed a temporary permit granting permission to the Highland County Agricultural Society to sell alcoholic beverages at the upcoming Highland County Fair.
A letter of support was issued on behalf of Ohio Means Jobs and the Greater Ohio/Area 7 workforce development board for a grant request.
Reach Tim Colliver at 937-402-2571.
