Overall, the recommended budget is balanced and does not include any layoffs.  "The budget is balanced. That's the good news," stated County Administrator Krings.  "It is difficult to present a budget that includes fee increases as well as cuts in service.  We are cutting good programs that serve good people, not because we don't think the programs work, but because we simply don't have the money."

Among the hardest hit areas is the Department of Job and Family Services.  The recommended 2002 budget for the department is $34 million less than the 2001 budget. To balance the budget, significant cuts are recommended in existing contracts and within the department's non-personnel spending.  Non-mandated services within the department are suggested for elimination or significant reduction.  Furthermore, the County has been told that it can no longer expect to receive $20-30 million in human services funding annually that was generated through an end of the fiscal year "reconciliation" process. 

The County's General Fund budget is also significantly reduced.  The recommended General Fund 2002 budget for ongoing operations is over $16 million less than the current budget.  The General Fund has been hit hard by a decrease in sales tax revenue, the State reduction in local government funding, and reduced court fine revenue.  To meet these challenges, the County administration has recommended reduced expenditures and revenue enhancement measures such as increase of the real estate transfer tax and increased building and zoning fees, which have not changed for several years.

The budget also includes a proposed 6% rate increase for Metropolitan Sewer District services.  This rate increase had been anticipated as a part of last year's rate adoption.

Commissioners will be working on the budget over the next month and hope to adopt the 2002 budget by late December.  

partnered with major shopping malls within the county to give those who pay county sales tax a chance to see a Bengals game from a PBS suite.  Citizens were able to register for the drawing at Kenwood, Northgate, and Tower Place Malls.  Nearly 1,000 entries were received for the drawing.  The drawing will provide 16 winners and a guest an opportunity to see one of two Bengals games in December (December 2^nd vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers or December 30^th vs. Pittsburgh Steelers). 

“Hamilton County taxpayers stepped up to make Paul Brown Stadium happen,” stated Commission President John Dowlin. “I’m pleased that the County will be giving something back to citizens.” 

“Through the drawing we will be able to give citizens a chance to see this outstanding facility in use,” stated Commissioner Tom Neyer, Jr. “This is one way to say ‘thank you’ to the taxpayer who paid for its construction.”

Commissioner Todd Portune stated,  “Those who pay sales tax in Hamilton County made Paul Brown Stadium possible and it is appropriate they have a chance to enjoy an event at the stadium.”

Hamilton County will provide the use of its suite at Paul Brown Stadium for the use of citizens selected through the drawing.  The County’s suite will accommodate 16 people for each game allowing eight individual winners and their guest to attend each game.  The County will also provide food and soft drinks.  In the past the County has provided the suite for use by foster families, citizen volunteers, the County’s Employees of the Year, and volunteer instructors in the County’s employee training program.

Steering Team (members from the private, public and civic sectors who oversee the COMPASS process) met on November 15, to sift through the 2,800-plus ideas to create goals for the county.

Categories used by the Steering Team are the issues that are the top concerns for county residents, issues such as housing, mobility, education and economic development. Each goal is valuable because they come directly from the thoughts and voices of Hamilton County residents.

At the goal-writing workshop, Steering Team members also identified challenges that might impede implementation of the goals. The challenges developed helped identify key issues that will be discussed at the Countywide Town Meeting, the next phase of Community COMPASS.

At the Countywide Town Meeting, 1,000 residents of Hamilton County and those who work in the county will sit in small groups and discuss cross-cutting issues such as race and equity. After discussion, participants will use wireless polling keypads to vote on issues allowing them to see the impact of their ideas and concerns. Each table will use this approach and the results will automatically be compiled for everyone to see.

County Solid Waste District awarded Recycle, Ohio! Grant

Grant funding supports recycling collection, education and awareness campaigns waste reduction efforts, “buy recycled” activities and litter prevention programs across state.

“Our country conserves precious natural resources, saves energy and protects our environment through local recycling efforts,” said Holly Christmann, Community Specialist for the District.  “Recycle, Ohio! Grant funding allows communities to effectively target their solid waste reduction, recycling and litter prevention programming needs.”

Holiday Food

Over 28 billion pounds of edible food are wasted each year, totaling over 100 pounds per person. At your next holiday party, try to:

·        Plan meals wisely and practice portion control to minimize waste in the first place.

·        Send holiday leftovers home with your guests as gifts, this way it’s appreciated and sure to go unwasted.

·        Donate leftovers to a local food bank or homeless shelter.

·        Compost your food waste. Fruits and vegetables are great for composting and work as a natural fertilizer.

Conservation

Save the environment and your electric bill and gas bills too. Try these energy saving tips to make your after Christmas bills a little merrier and your wallet a little lighter:

·        Turn down the heat before guests arrive. You’ll save energy while the extra body heat of your guests will warm up the room.

·        Look for smaller bulbs when purchasing outdoor lighting. The smaller the bulb, the lower the wattage. Low wattage bulbs consume less energy and give off less heat, making them safer and more energy efficient.

·        Plan your holiday shopping in advance and consolidate trips. This saves you gas and the stress of last minute shopping trips.

·        Huddle your family in front of the fireplace to conserve electricity or have a candlelight dinner. This can be quality family time and help you reduce stress during this busy holiday season.

·        Walk to neighborhood parties or carpool to save gas.

Gifts and Cards

Gift giving can be a hassle and people often end up with things they don’t want or need which can then end up in our landfills. In addition, our mailboxes are flooded with the over 2.65 billion Christmas cards sold each year in the United States. This amount could fill a football field 10 stories high. Make it easier on yourself and the environment this year with these great ideas:

·        Think about giving gift certificates if you’re not sure what to give, or make a donation in his or her name to your favorite charity.

·        Start a savings account for kids so they can learn to save and watch their money grow. Or give stocks or bonds as gifts.

·        Donate unwanted gifts, along with last year’s gifts that the kids have outgrown, to charity.

·        Set a good example by giving gifts such as homemade food, an extra houseplant, or something that you’ve made yourself from re-usable or recycled items.

·        Send electronic cards to family, friends and business associates who are on-line.

·        Reduce mail volume by updating and paring down your holiday mailing list. If we each sent one less card, we’d save 50,000 cubic yards of paper.

Packaging and Wrappings

All of the holiday wrapping and packaging not only creates more waste for our environment, but can also be time consuming and expensive. Try these tips for wrapping or sending gifts:

·        Give gifts that don’t need to be wrapped, like tickets to concerts, museums, or sporting events.

·        When giving oversized gifts like bicycles, just tie a bow around them instead of wrapping them in paper.

·        Use old magazines, newspapers, maps, or the Sunday comics to wrap gifts.

·        Instead of wrapping children’s gifts, hide the gifts and make a scavenger hunt out of it.

·        When sending items through the mail, pick items that are easy to ship and won’t require excess packaging, like gift certificates and tickets.

·        Reuse packaging materials such as boxes, peanuts, wood shavings, and bubble wrap.

·        Combine your purchases into one bag or bring your own canvas bag on holiday shopping trips.

Have a Great Week!