By Brian Massie, A Watchman on the Wall
To review all of the past articles on the Local Government Funds issue, just type “Local Government Funds” into the search box on the home page, and you will see many articles for you to review.
The new Alternate Formula for the distribution of the Local Government Funds has been submitted to the Lake County Commissioners and to all of the Lake County municipalities.
Here is the resolution that was passed by the Commissioners 3 – 0.
Here are the three videos of Willoughby Mayor Robert Fiala, Timberlake Mayor John Marra, and Concord Township Trustee Morgan McIntosh speak to the Commissioners about the Local Government Funds’ Alternate Formula.
We have had some disagreements with elected officials about the Ad Hoc Committee not being open to the public. Here is some correspondence we have had with Auditor Galloway:
We asked Auditor Galloway for the audio recording of the August 7, 2023 meeting of the Budget Commission. We were told that there was no recording. I then remembered that I had attended the meeting and did take a video recording of the meeting.
Here is Auditor Galloway’s response to my email:
Glad you have a recording. I will disagree with your assessment that Treasurer Zuren’s comment constitutes creation of a committee. The Budget Commission did not entertain a motion, one wasn’t voted on. Therefore, no committee was established. The Mayors and Managers did create a committee and that is who worked on the new formula recommendation.
Those meetings were not public and therefore no one was blocked. You and I will just have to agree to disagree. That is why the May 16th meeting was so important and I appreciate you filming it and putting it on YouTube. I have sent a number of people to it to watch.
I will ask you to remember the process of devising a new formula was no easy task. There were 25 competing interests – all looking to maximize their gains or minimize their losses. Ultimately it is about crafting a formula that is not only fair and equitable but will gain the required support politically. That means no one gets everything they want. As I mentioned in my comments to the commissioners last week, if you don’t have the votes, you don’t have a plan. Numbers on a spreadsheet are irrelevant. As an example, Mayor Marra has staked a different opinion and that is his right. But his formula as he presented to me would have left the townships with almost no change and I have my doubts that Mentor would ratify his plan. Therefore, in my opinion, it’s a non-starter. So you can say, the township should get more, but the reality that must be reckoned with is there was not the votes to gain more than they have.
I know it is a MASSIVE improvement over the 1982 plan and the state statutory formula. I believe you will ultimately agree.
Chris
Here is a portion of the distribution list prepared by Auditor Galloway. Unfortunately, it is not the final list due to a last minute change by the Budget Commission’s Ad Hoc Committee that added $100,000 per year for the bloated Lake Metroparks budget. We object to Lake Metroparks getting any of the LGF distribution because they have .1 mills of inside millage. The estimated 30% increase in property values will ensure that Metroparks will get an additional $174,000 annually without a vote of the taxpayers starting in 2025.
Here are some statistics from this worksheet to contemplate:
In 2025, Waite Hill Village will get $269.17 per resident and Kirtland Hills will get $196.77 per resident.
In 2025, Concord Township and Leroy Township will get $24.48 per resident, but in 2033 both Township will get $45.20 per resident. while Kirtland Hills and Waite Hill will remain constant.
Former Waite Hill Mayor Bob Ranallo represented Waite Hill and Kirtland Hills, and Concord Trustee Morgan McIntosh represented the Townships.
Concord Trustee Carl Dorndorfer, who also is the Police Chief of Waite Hill, will not vote on this issue as the Concord Trustee because of a conflict of interest holding both positions.
Categories: Lake County - General, Lake County Politics, Uncategorized