Auditor reviews permissive sales tax report; commissioners commit $2M to engineer's truck barn project

Highland County Auditor Alex Butler shared “good news and bad news” regarding the county’s permissive sales tax report with Highland County Commissioners David Daniels, Brad Roades and Terry Britton during their Wednesday, Nov. 27 meeting.

As noted in October, the county is on pace to break its record-high permissive sales tax collection for a fifth straight year, and Butler said that is still the case as of the November 2024 report. Year to date, the county has collected $8,830,915.64 — a three-percent increase for the same 11 months in 2023 — and is currently $563,482.66 away from reaching last year’s record of $9,394,398.30.

However, the “bad news, or less good news,” reported by the auditor was the November 2024 total of $691,245.77 marked a 10-percent drop from the $764,917.17 collected in November 2023.

“That's a trend we have not seen in quite some time,” Butler said. “There have been a few months where we have been less than the month of the previous year, but not quite 10-percent less.”

Additionally, the November 2024 total is both the lowest total of the 2024 calendar year thus far; the lowest amount for the month of November since 2020; and the lowest overall monthly total collected since April 2023.

In other discussion:

• A resolution to direct $2 million of the County’s Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund payments to the Highland County Engineer Truck Barn Project, as well as a memorandum of understanding with the Highland County Engineer’s Office regarding the funding, were both approved.

According to county ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding coordinator Nicole Oberrecht, “about 97 percent” of their ARPA dollars will now be committed, with the deadline roughly a month away.

“Our deadline is quickly approaching to have our money obligated,” Oberrecht said. “That’ll be December 31 of this year. That MOU is basically we're entering into an interagency agreement with the county engineer, and that fits the definition of an obligation. Even though we're obviously not going to have that money expended by the end of this year, we'll have those remaining two years to do so.”

As previously reported, Senator Shane Wilkin (R-Hillsboro) announced in June the investment of $1 million from the One-Time Strategic Community Investment Fund (OTSCIF) to support the project, which will accommodate over 20 trucks.

The amount committed Wednesday exceeds the initial request made when commissioners reviewed potential ARPA projects in 2022. At that time, Engineer Chris Fauber submitted a $1.4 million proposal to build a new 115’x160’ truck/equipment storage facility, replacing an approximately 50-year-old structure.   

“With that contribution to the engineer, we will have encumbered about 97 percent of our money,” Oberrecht said. “Over the next few weeks, we'll try to do some resolutions and clean up what's left. That way, we have everything spoken for by the end of the year.

“We've expended about 60 percent of our money.”

• Commissioners voted 3-0 to issue a notice of liquidated damages for project delays to Alpha Construction, the contractor working on the county’s multimillion-dollar records storage building on Beech Street in Hillsboro.

“We have met the timeline for completion of the records center, and this is notifying them that they have not met the completion deadline,” Daniels said. “The terms of construction contract [says] delays in that will result in liquidated damages at a rate of $500 per calendar day that they are not complete. We put them on notice that they are behind schedule and that we intend to invoke the penalty clause of that agreement.”

Britton added that this is effective Nov. 8. According to Daniels, the notice reads, “This notice serves to inform you that based on our current project schedule for Highland County records storage building, the substantial complete date of Nov. 8, 2024 has passed, and your current progress indicates delay exceeding the contractually allowed time frame.”

• Britton asked Highland County Job and Family Services Assistant Director Gene Myers for an update on the number of “kids in care,” or children in custody of Highland County Children Services. Myers said the current number is “about 164.”

• Commissioners noted that their next meeting has been rescheduled to Dec. 2 at 1 p.m. due to the commissioners staff attending the CCAO Winter Conference.

• Daniels announced that the Ross-Pickaway-Highland-Fayette Solid Waste District is accepting applications for community clean-up grants and small business recycling grants. The deadline to apply is March 1. For more information, go to: www.rphfsolidwastedistrict.com/education.html.

• Commissioners received a notice from the Ohio Division of Liquor Control regarding a proposed liquor license transfer to Beechwood Pizza & Carryout LLC. Daniels said they would give the community “a couple of weeks” to comment or make objections before taking any action.

• Highland County mobility manager Carl Rayburn reported that the newly added second route within the city of Hillsboro is “running pretty well.

“We’re keeping both of them busy for improving our speed to get people around town,” Rayburn said.

Rayburn added that they will be hiring drivers “and potentially one dispatcher” in the coming weeks.

• Commissioners were scheduled to hold work sessions with Butler and Oberrecht Wednesday as they discuss the 2025 budget.

Other items approved included:

• A surety bond with Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company for Hecate Energy Highland LLC’s Solar RUMA.

“We've got a letter from the engineer saying that the Hecate Energy company has met their obligation under the RUMA, and that they have paid what they need to pay, and they have completed the work that they're required to complete,” Daniels said.

• A quote in the amount of $1,232 from Ephraim Schlabach to install leaf guards on the gutters at the Highland County Dog Pound.

“It’s been a problem ever since we built it,” Britton said.

• A planned service agreement with Weller’s Plumbing & Heating for annual services. The item was discussed at the Nov. 20 meeting but not acted on, pending an issue with the cost of controls.

“Tom Mottie with Weller’s got with Amaresco, and they got the rate fixed,” Britton said. “The total increase was only $1,660 more than it was last year.”

• A housing agreement among Highland County Commissioners, Ross County Commissioners, Ross County Sheriff’s Office and Highland County Sheriff’s Office to house Ross County inmate in the Highland County Justice Center.

• A lease agreement among commissioners, Hillsboro Business Complex LLC and the Highland County land bank for the relocation of the land bank to the business complex on North High Street in uptown Hillsboro.

Commissioners also approved the following resolutions, each by a 3-0 vote:

• A request from JFS for a transfer from Public Assistance Fund (2050) to Children Services Fund (2115) in the amount of $137,846.07.

• A request from JFS for a budget modification within the Children Services Fund (2115) in the amount of $5,000.

• A request from JFS for a budget modification within the Child Support Enforcement Fund (2015) in the amount of $1,000.

• A request from JFS for a budget modification within the Public Assistance Fund (2050) in the amount of $10,000.

• A resolution to declare the dog pound modular no longer needed by the County and obsolete ORC 307-12 (A)(1) and to be surplus property.

• A request from JFS for a budget modification within the Public Assistance Fund (2050) in the amount of $3,000.

• A request from the Sheriff for a budget modification within the 1000 County General fund in the amount of $11,000.

• A request from the Sheriff for a budget modification within the 1000 County General fund in the amount of $25,000.

• A request from the Highland County Common Pleas Court for a budget modification within the 1000 County General fund in the amount of $500.

• A request from Common Pleas Court for a budget modification within the 1000 County General fund in the amount of $600.

• A budget modification within the 4220 County Airport fund in the amount of $9,129.77.

• A budget modification within the 1000 County General Fund in the amount of $5,000.

• A budget modification within the 5000 Rolling Acres Fund in the amount of $1,000.

• A budget modification within the 1000 County General Fund in the amount of $1,000.

• A request from the Treasurer for a budget modification within Treasurer General Fund in the amount of $315.

• A request from the Treasurer for a budget modification within DETAC-Treasurer Fund in the amount of $1,278.83.

• A resolution to create a new line item within the 1000 County General Fund – Utilities – Maintenance and Operations.

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