At the January 3, 2017 annual organizational meeting of Clark County Commissioners, the commissioners appointed Henry Comer to the West Central Community Corrections Facility Board with a term to expire December 31, 2020.

In addition, the commissioners assigned the commissioners and staff to serve on various boards and committees in the county. Commissioner Richard Lohnes was assigned to the 9-1-1 Planning Committee, Audit Review Committee, Board of Revisions, BRAC, Community Improvement Corporation, County Planning, County Records Commission, Criminal Justice Council, Data Processing Board, and the Investment Advisory Board.

Commissioner Melanie Flax-Wilt was assigned to the Area Agency on Aging, although she requested that a designate be assigned because the meeting conflicts with the regular commission meeting. She also was designated as the representative to the BRAC, Clark County Land Reutilization Corp, County Planning, Fair Housing, Keep Clark County Beautiful, Reentry Coalition Executive Committee, Solid Waste Management Policy, and as the alternate for the Transportation Coordinating Committee.

Commissioner Lowell McGlothin accepted positions on the Clark County Emergency Food and Shelter Board, Clark County Land Reutilization Corp, Community Improvement Corporation, County Planning, Investment Advisory Board, OhioMeansJobs, and the Transportation Coordinating Committee.

County Administrator will serve on the Audit Review Committee, Criminal Justice Council, and the Data Processing Board.

In addition, Commissioner Clerk Megan Burr will service on the County Records Commission.

The commissioners elected Lohnes as President of the Board of Clark County Commissioners. Flax-Wilt was elected as the designate to act in the absence of the President. In addition, Lohnes will represent the commission as the official representative for voting at the annual meeting of the County Commissioners Association of Ohio in 2018. Flax-Will will serve as the alternate.

The commissioners scheduled the meeting date and time for 2018. The regular meeting to conduct all official business of the board is scheduled for Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. An informal meeting to discuss the agenda and other matters before the board is scheduled for Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. in the Commission Conference Room. The public will be given 24 hour notices for any special sessions that may be needed.

In addition, the commissioners reviewed the preliminary general fund budget for 2018. Hutchinson said, “I expect to need less than $1 million from the transitional fund for the budget.” The transitional fund includes over $3 million given to the country from the state of Ohio to help with the lost income from the Medicaid taxes. The proposed general fund allocations total over $2 million dollars. Included in the allocations are support for the Sheriff’s Department for four new detectives, firearms, several vehicles, and a new server. The Information Systems Department also request several infrastructure improvements including upgrades for the firewall, camera, PCs, Microsoft, and videoconferencing.

Although the commissioners agreed to cut the proposed budgets for several departments that did not reduce their budgets by the 3% that the commissioners asked them to do, Lohnes proposed, “I encourage the departments to meet with us throughout the year to review their budgets. We can then allocate the carryover if needed.”

Flax-Wilt asked, “How would you feel about taking $100,000 from the transitional funds to invest in the strategic plan priorities?” She also added that she is worried about the effect online sales will have on the county’s revenue base.

The commissioners will vote on a final budget for 2018 later in the month.

The next meeting of the Clark county Commissioners is scheduled for January 10, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. in the Commissioners Conference Room at 50 E Columbia Street.

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