marcia Phelps

Dear Licking County Resident, The job of the Licking County Commissioners office has always been and will continue to be a work in progress. The year 2005 was no exception. There are many duties and responsibilities that come with being a county commissioner including working to improve the quality of life for residents of Licking County and working with county employees to deliver the services of the county government. In dedicating my full time and attention to these duties and responsibilities, you can review a glimpse of a few major and interesting issues that I have worked on over the past year.

Balancing the Budget Projecting the economic forecast for Ohio and Licking County is a variable that would give anyone, even learned economists, difficulty projecting. However, it is one of the many duties of the County Commissioners to work and project this forecast so as to know when to act on the needs of funding service delivery and when to hold the line on spending. Our year began with a balanced budget. As the year progressed, the difficulties experienced with the slow economy did give reasons for concerns such as potential State of Ohio funding cuts, the impact of Federal and State mandates on implementation of additional services and unfunded mandates. Measures continued such as a hiring freeze on new positions, travel and training needs were limited and other measures to hold the line on spending. Then, thoughts and discussions instantly turned to the consideration of an increase in the sales tax. This summary could warrant an entire article covering the issues and the process of a sales tax increase, but summarizing this issue however, is history that has been made. Two of three Commissioners imposed a ½ cent increase in the sales tax and we are now at 7% sales tax base. Although measures could have been put into place to send the choice to the voters, the tax was imposed and estimated additional revenue to the County General Fund is $8 million dollars, annually.

Weather Issues

The impact of 2005’s weather issues such as the ice storm and then flooding gave way for the need to hold a meeting with the Army Corp of Engineers. Although facilitating the meeting did take some time, we conducted the meeting and learned of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District’s forthcoming plans for the improvements and proposed assessments to residents of Licking County. The plans and progress of the Muskingum Watershed and the Southwest Licking Conservancy district are projects worth monitoring throughout 2006 and beyond.

Population Growth

New residents moving into Licking County gave way to the increase in demand for services that are also required by the Ohio Revised Code. Our judicial system experienced an increase in court cases and our Sheriff’s department and county justice center, jail, also experienced an increase in the numbers of inmates. Space for offices is required to be provided and the cost of the services rises as our county grows in population. We continue to work together to provide office space needs, storage space needs and continued maintenance to all the buildings and offices. This year Licking County added another building to assist with the delivery of public transportation, with returning tax dollars back to our county from Federal and State budgets, we now have a transit facility. Working hard to bring your tax dollars back to our county for roads, bridges and buildings are yet another responsibility local officials must strive to accomplish in 2006.

Mandated Budget Cuts

With the State of Ohio budget cuts proposed for county, city, township and village governments as well as the school districts, a task force was formed with representation from all areas of concern. Working together to lobby the legislature to maintain funding levels was a priority as the impact of potential cuts would have been devastating to local government, and consequently to local tax payers. The task force actions of public meetings, letter writing and continued efforts to lobby the legislature of the importance of maintaining funding levels was successful and the impact of the proposed cuts was reduced.

SR 161 Planning ACORD

The State Route 161 improvement project will see work continued into the next few years. This project takes time to review and evaluate. Along with the road improvement will also come growth. Working with the township and village leaders of the respective areas is a priority and the 161 Planning ACORD has been formed to evaluate comprehensive and zoning needs. With Cherry Valley Road Intersection a major concern within the project scope, a team of public and private concerned citizens and business representatives formed a task force to work to acquire funding for the intersection improvements to be included with the SR 161 project. Working with the Ohio Department of Transportation –ODOT funding formula, the partnership presented information that would add to the consideration and need for Cherry Valley Road to be included within the scope of the project. This is a work in progress that will continue well into 2006.

Economic Development

The competitive nature of working with potential industries and businesses for location is a priority and work continues so we will be a major part of the competition. With the help of local developers we stand ready for the market. Retention and Expansion (R&E) of our existing industries and businesses is also vital to a strong economic base. An R&E Task Force, comprised of public and private partners, was developed. This has formalized the process of interviewing existing industries and businesses in Licking County. Although not a new process, the initiative will become part of the function of the Economic Development Team working for the citizens of Licking County.

Even though meeting the previously mentioned demands and challenges was a full time endeavor, nothing compared to the emotional grief with the passing of two Commissioners and our County Treasurer, as well as several other county employees. We not only lost our co-workers but those we called friends. Our thoughts continue to be with the family and friends of those lost.

It can be seen that 2005 brought trials as well as great possibilities. The year 2006 will also bring its share of challenges and opportunities. It has been and is a privilege and honor to serve as your Licking County Commissioner. Working together with other elected officials, departments, business leaders and you, citizens of Licking County, insures a continued quality of life for our future. Building continued partnerships with all areas of government has been and will continue to be a priority. I congratulate and thank those who step forward to serve as elected officials, the business leaders and citizens that dedicate time to partnering with your government.

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me. My office number is 740-670-5117 and e-mail address is mphelps@lcounty.com or my home number is 740-364-1812 and e-mail address is mjp207@hotmail.com. Please visit your Licking County web site at www.lcounty.com.