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Observer Corps Reports on All 31 BOCC Budget Hearings, 

To Be Followed by Budget Commission Hearings in August

Board of County Commissioners - Department Budget Hearings - May 5, 12, 19 & 28

Meeting Details: The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) met at various times on May 5, 12, 19 and 28 for the purpose of reviewing 2027 budget requests received from County Departments under the hiring authority of the BOCC.  These hearings were held at the County Administration Building, 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Room B303, Chardon, OH. BOCC meetings were in-person only, and there are no recordings for the public to view.

Background: Hearing times were listed in advance. There were a total of 31 hearings. LWV Observers attended all of the hearings except one, but were able to record that one.  

Observer Comment: In the past, the BOCC Budget Hearings have been held in the fall. However, in 2024 these hearings were moved to the spring so that the BOCC Budget Hearings would take place before the Budget Commission’s Budget Hearings, which will occur on August 17 and 18, 2026.  Reviewer Note: The schedule for the Budget Commission’s Budget Hearings is available in the June 29, 2026 Budget Commission LWVG Observer Report.  Mr. Adrian Gorton said at the first day’s hearing, in response to a question after the hearing, that he anticipated that the Commissioners would review the Budget at their meeting on June 30, 2026. At the June 30, 2026 BOCC meeting, the Commissioners approved the 2027 Budget. 

Public Comment Policy: There was no public comment and this follows normal practice for all meetings conducted as “hearings.”

Attendance: Present for most hearings were Commissioners James Dvorak, Carolyn Brakey, and Ralph Spidalieri.  Also present were County Administrator Amy Bevan, Deputy County Administrator Mark Jimison, Budget and Finance Manager Adrian Gorton and Senior Financial Specialist Deborah Ashburn. It will be noted if one of the parties is not present or leaves early.

County Representatives: At each hearing, the Department Chair attended, and in some cases other department staff members were present as well.  These are listed below.

More Information and Posted Minutes for BOCC: Available here.

Observer Note: There are statutory increases for certain office holders which are a result of the new population in the 2022 census which lists the Geauga County population as 95,469.  Once the population is over 95,000, there are mandated increases under ORC (Ohio Revised Code 325.  Some judicial positions have mandated increases, and these will be covered as they are presented.  This year, departments were instructed to submit budgets that were 90% of the prior year.  Mr. Gorton said this was being done because departments have traditionally not used all of their budget allocations.

Tuesday, May 5th

Present for these hearings were Commissioners Carolyn Brakey and Ralph Spidalieri.  Also present were County Administrator Amy Bevan, Budget and Finance Manager Adrian Gorton and Senior Financial Specialist Deborah Ashburn.  Commissioner James Dvorak was not present.  Observer Note: May 5, 2026 was primary election day and Mr. Dvorak was in a contested primary.

12:30 to 1 pm - Soil and Water, Director Carmella Shale and Board Chair Jeff Huntsberger

Ms. Shale said they should have a staff of 7 but are currently at 6.  They are trying to hire an additional technician. Currently they have the department director (Ms. Shale), an educational specialist, another educator, 2 technicians, and an administrative support staff person.  

Ms. Shale said they have just received the results of the state audit, and she was proud that they received a 4-star award for open and transparent government.

Ms. Shale gave out a hand out about their programs and activities which include many agricultural education and related activities, such as:

• Amish Safety Day 

• Manure Management - Geauga County has the 3rd largest population of horses in Ohio.  They have held “Horse Manure Matters” programs to educate property owners about proper disposal of horse manure.

• Woodland Wednesdays Workshops - there were five focused on various aspects of woodland management.

Mr. Spidalieri asked about manure in Middlefield.  Ms. Shale said that pollution in Lake Erie comes from horse manure getting into feeder streams. 

Mr. Huntsberger stressed the importance of educational training.

Ms. Shale talked about several grants - one for forestry training and another led to a survey on manure.

Three farms have been enrolled in the H2Ohio program, which helps ensure safe use of fertilizer.  They are also looking into a grant for composting education through H2Ohio.

Ms. Shale said that their budget keeps expenses the same with minimal travel, and with an increase in salary accounts.  She explained that when a raise is given by the Commissioners, Soil and Water employees don’t get the raise as they are not part of the county. Their raises begin in the second quarter.  Ms. Shale said she expects revenue to stay the same.  She said that they don’t know now what the amount will be for the rest of this year.  She said that half of their funds come from the State, in which the State matches (at a certain percentage) what the county contributes.  This allocation (percentage) goes through the State budget process.  They are hoping to receive a 79%-80% match this year.  They are on a biennium, and they still don’t know what they will get for the rest of 2026.  She noted that years ago they got a 97-98% match.  They will be using some cash carryover.  She said that, “we are only going to exist if the County continues to give money.”  She emphasized that the State only gives a match, so if the County cuts what they contributed, the State would not make up the difference.

Mrs. Brakey asked what the County is required to do through Soil and Water.

Ms. Shale said that they are required to investigate and issue MS4 permits.

Mrs. Brakey asked what they would do “if property taxes went away.”

Ms. Shale said that if that happened they would have to substantially increase their fee structures. 

Mrs. Brakey said she is a proponent that people who use the services should pay for the services. She recommended that they start increasing their fee structure now.  

1:05 to 1:35 pm - Water Resources, Director Nick Gorris and Kathleen Miller, Fiscal and Personnel

Mr. Gorris said their budget is a “not so tax budget tax budget” since their revenues don’t come from taxes.  He said that their budget comes from their revenue.  Their expenses are based on revenues.  They are proposing just over $10 million in expenses with revenue of $10,400,000.  

He said he wanted to highlight what is different from 2026.  They have a total of 56 positions on their organizational chart but only 34 are filled and one additional person left. Some positions have been eliminated due to redundancy (e.g. Sanitary Engineer and Director have been merged). He said that there are a lot of openings at McFarland but they are starting to get some filled, in part because EPA changed requirements so that more current workers qualify for promotions.  They are interviewing now for a supervisor position.

Mr. Gorris said that in their budget is a request to add 2 positions that aren’t on the organizational chart. The first is for a systems specialist which will be data-oriented - phones, GIS, and ADP (Automatic Data Processing). The other position is for an administrator (not supervisory) for policy compliance.  Mr. Gorris said that when McFarland is fully functioning, staff needs will reduce.  

For Equipment - they need several vehicles.  They need to replace a dump truck (can’t get parts), 2 route vehicle trucks (those that have over 100,000 miles), and possibly their lab vehicle (or it might go into the 2028 budget). They need to replace some computers (based on a rotating schedule).  Mr. Gorris said that it is the policy of ADP to replace computers after 5 years.  Mr. Gorris said that they added generators to equipment needs as some generators are dying.  He stated: “If we don’t need to replace, we won’t do it.”  They have two tankers (one is a 2004 and the other is a 2008).

On the “water side,” Mr. Gorris said that they added planned replacements for hydrants.  He said that 8-10 are currently out of service.  A third party vendor will be hired to replace them.

For contract projects, Mr. Gorris said there was nothing out of the ordinary.  A planned water fill station project has been “pushed off to 2028.” For Professional Services he said they did not have a lot.  He said the biggest thing was using surveyors to fix property lines for plants.

Mr. Gorris said that the McFarland Creek upgrade project should be complete by June-July 2027.  Mr. Gorris said it was hard to do any other big projects until that is complete.

Mr. Gordon asked about fees, as far as the revenue side goes.  

Mr. Gorris said they would be bringing rate increases to the Commissioners.  They anticipate an increase in debt payments to $1.5 million so they will need increased revenues.  He said the original McFarland debt is almost complete.

Mr. Gorris said that they have a lot of funds.  There are a lot of old construction funds.  He said they have  been instructed to use these funds to pay off debt.  They have been working with the Auditor’s Office and have been told that some of these old funds can’t be closed.

As far as technology goes, Mr. Gorris said they are bringing meter reading into the office.  In preparation for that, they are making sure systems are working.  He said that in their system they can look at all meters, and they discovered that one unit jumped into the top 3 users.  This one residential unit used 300,000 gallons of water in four days, and they were able to alert the property owner who found a leak which was causing them to “ blow through 2,000 gallons of water an hour.”

The planned Cash carryover is $3 million.

1:40 - 2:10 pm - Airport Authority - Manager Ric Blamer; board members Greg Gyllstrom and Chris Schloss

Mr. Blamer said that they sent a 5-year plan.  Mr. Gorton asked them to comment on the 2027 projects and what they have planned.  

Mrs. Brakey asked if there is a budget.  Mr. Gorton said no.  He said, “We don’t actually approve a budget” because the Airport is not within the county system. According to their agreement with the Commissioners, the Commissioners approve a $25,000 a year match to projects they are doing.  

Mr. Gyllstrom said that they do have a budget which they monitor and is audited by the state.

Mr. Blamer said that they had planned on installing an Automatic Weather Observation System, but the site wasn’t appropriate so they will be postponing that.  They are technically required to have one, but they got a waiver from the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration).  Mr. Gyllstrom clarified that they do have a weather system now, but it is not sufficient.

Mr. Gyllstrom said that the parallel taxiway is basically complete with just a few items to be done. He said it has been a real game changer and it is in operation now. 

The FAA has notified them of a grant payment condition.  The FAA wants them to move up the runway rehab, which would entail applying in 2027 for a 2028 grant with construction in 2029.  Mr. Gorton noted that the local request would be more than the normal.  Mr. Gorton said it looks like it will cost a little over $100,000, with design work of $7,500.

Mr. Blamer said that their budget is prepared in November for 2027 and it will be presented at the January meeting.  Mr. Blamer said he would share that with the Commissioners.  

Mr. Gyllstrom said that their revenue comes from the sale of fuel and rentals. He said that “Hanger Bravo” once complete will result in more revenue.

Mr. Blamer said that the new runway extension could result in larger aircraft with increased revenue from fuel sales and overnight fees.

Mrs. Brakey asked about any rate increases that could increase their revenue. Mr. Gyllstrom said that their ”Premium Hanger rates are way above Northeast Ohio rates” and that they have a 20% margin on fuel.

Mr. Gyllstrom said that snowplowing/removal is the wild card, noting that “this year it was very high.”  He said that when that happens, they have to cut other items. The cost this year went from $5,000 to $50,000.

For their Facilities plan, Mr. Blamer mentioned two projects: roof repairs and doors. Mr. Blamer said that roof repair is needed on Hangars 4 and 5 as they have gotten beyond what maintenance can handle.  For Hangar 2, the front doors are old.  It would be more beneficial to replace the doors rather than try to repair them (like they did on Hangar 1). He said that, “altogether this would extend the life of the buildings.”  Mr. Blamer said that the revenue they generate from these hangars is $143,000 a year.  Mr. Gyllstrom said, “If those hangars get damaged, we lose that revenue.”  He said that $204,000 is the total cost to do the repairs. They are working on a plan to put aside money for larger projects.  They did not receive funding from ODOT for this project.

Mr. Blamer said that the wait list for hangars is 43.  Mr. Gyllstrom said that rental charges were increased by 10%. 

Mr. Gorton clarified that this isn’t the meeting where the Commissioners make a decision. They should  bring requests to the Commissioners.

Mr. Blamer said that they just received the matching grant from ODOT for the t-hangar project. 

2:15 to 2:45 pm - Building Department - Director Dan Spada was not at the hearing; Present were Assistant Director Michael Davet and Permit Supervisor Doreen Eppich

Mr. Gorton reviewed the main highlights of changes.  He said there has been a sizable increase in payroll with a vacant new position of permit technician to fill.  There was an increase in contract services and a request for a new inspector vehicle.

Mr. Davet said that they are at the same pace as last year residentially and a little down on commercial.  He said they have been understaffed and that with the volume of work, they need an additional person to manage office tasks.  He estimated that it should be a year equal to the past as far as permits, aside from any big commercial jobs.

Mr. Davet said that their vehicle request is a part of the normal replacement routine. The vehicle they are replacing was purchased in 2021.

For contract services -  in the last quarter of the year they are always moving money around to get plan reviewers paid.  They all raised their prices.  Ms. Eppich said that they do get that money back because they charge the customers.

Mr. Davet said that the request for increased fees should address any shortfalls.  These are still pending and need public hearings. Observer Note:  The new rate schedule was approved by the Commissioners on June 23, 2026. See the LWVG Observer Report on this meeting here. He said that 2021 was the last time fees were increased.

Mr. Davet said he has talked to Meijer about their plans for Chardon, and they may or may not see the fees for this project this fiscal year. He said, “If we don’t see the documents by November, they won’t get the fees this year.”  He said that there are 29 lots in Chardon that will be completed shortly.  There are 400 plus in Middlefield and Camp Wise has lots of work going on.

Mr. Davet said they are working with Water Resources to get a meeting with New World.  He said that right now the flow of information is time-consuming.  Ms. Eppich said that Water Resources also wants someone to come out and talk to them about New World and see what can be done. 

Mrs. Brakey asked, “How do you operate with Zoning?”  She wanted to know if there was software to show where there is a change in property use.  Mr. Davet said that there wasn’t any software like that. He said that they are in the process of working with ADP to locate township specific information. 

2:50 - 3:20 pm - County Engineer - Andrew Haupt, Engineer, and Chief Deputy Engineer Traci Salkiewicz, PE; also in attendance Kelly Baeslach, Office Manager, Nick Lowery, Accounts Coordinator, and Tim Woodcock, PE Engineer IV 

Mr. Gorton said the highlights were some increases in payroll, statutory increases for elected officials, and an increase in subdivision fees.  He had some questions about equipment and the road and bridge levy.

Mr. Haupt said that the Road and Bridges levy brings in $2.6 million a year.  They will put it on the ballot in November 2026.  He said that county residents expect good roads so they are hoping it is approved.  Instead of complete closure and full reconstruction, they are in the process of repaving.  This year there are 8 projects. Mr. Haupt said that if they lose the levy they will still plow for snow. He said If property taxes get eliminated, they will cut down on projects; for example, instead of repaving they would have to just do maintenance on the roads.  He said that support on their levies has been 60-70%.  The levy actually expired last year, and he said this is a renewal.  

For their equipment needs, they budgeted $500,000 for equipment. Mr. Haupt said they are going through their inventory now to determine what equipment needs to be replaced. He noted that salt prices have gone up.  He said that the new salt storage allows them to plan ahead and to help townships.  They are expanding their brine capability.

Ms. Salkiewicz said that they have had some turnover and they are looking to fill vacancies. 

Mr. Gorton noted that they have used social media and advertising and asked if they are getting a good response. Ms. Salkiewicz said that they pulled back a little on advertising to save resources.  They have a new employee who is working on social media in-house.  She said that this employee had started as an intern.

3:25 - 3:55 pm (3:43 pm) - Coroner - Dr. John Urbancic

Dr. Urbancic asked for a 3% cost-of-living increase for employees in the office.  He said that he has a state-mandated raise.  He said that they cut some educational funds and travel.  He noted a slight increase in body transport costs, as well as increases in autopsy and toxicology costs.  He said this has been $120,000 for a while.  He said they try to do only those that are required, due to the cost.

Dr. Urbancic said he was not asking for any new employees.  There were two murders in the county and  5 overdoses in 2025.  He said that this year “We’ve had 5 overdoses so far this year.”  There were 12 suicides last year which Dr. Urbancic said was pretty much average.  He said they are still seeing fentanyl overdoses but there has been some Carfentanil as well as meth and cocaine.

He said that last year Ashtabula had 25 overdoses while Geauga had 5.  In total 313 deaths were reported in the county (though he said a lot of deaths were not reported), such as those in hospice.  He said, “87 cases were accepted for autopsies.“

Dr. Urbancic said that their vehicle is in good shape and has only 14,000 miles.

Dr. Urbanic said he has 2 more years in his term.  He said that the Coroner election coincides with Presidential elections and he will probably run again.  He said he can’t even find a doctor to help.

He reported that last year seven counties didn’t have a coroner.  Those counties have the option to appoint someone or contract with another county.

4:00 to 4:30 (4:18 ) pm - Mental Health and Recovery Services - Executive Director Christine Lakomiak and Finance Manager Jim Mausser.

Mr. Gorton highlighted the following: there was a decrease in federal grants as well as a decrease in expenses and transfers out. $100,000 was budgeted for a generator for the TLC (Transitional Living Center) and $175,000 for parking lot expansion for the TLC.  They didn’t specify projects for their Capital Fund for 2027.  

Ms. Lakomiak said that they know they will get a 2028 federal grant for $1 million which could be used for capital projects.  For 2027 she said they very much need a generator for TLC. The current generator will not cover the entire building after the expansion.  The TLC parking lot has been a challenge as well.  They had hoped to fund the parking lot out of the original construction amount, but costs had gone up.  She said they want to have a contractor look at all their properties and see what should be done, such as what equipment should be replaced. 

Mr. Mausser said that “we have been reactive but we need to be proactive.”  The apartment they manage has 12 furnaces. They are looking for a 10-year plan of capital expenditures.  

Mr. Mauser said that Federal grants have decreased, and they were getting $1.3 or $1.4 million.  Ms. Lakomiak said now agencies like Ravenwood are coming to them to replace what the State had been paying through MHRS, but which the agencies didn’t receive.  He explained that some agencies are getting less than they got from MHRS.

Mrs. Brakey asked, “Has the pot of money dried up?”

Ms. Lakomiak said that the State has given the same but is now requiring that agencies apply to them directly, rather than the prior way this was done. She explained that previously MHRS received the pot of money and went through a process to decide which agencies (in Geauga) received how much.  She said she has heard that there might be cuts, but they haven’t seen any yet.

Mr. Gorton said there has been a drop in revenues and Mr. Mausser said that was due to the Board not receiving money for the agencies.  He said that is also why there are no transfers out.

Mr. Mausser said that they are waiting for grant money. He said once they get that and they get the capital plan, they will transfer money out for projects.

Mr. Gorton noted that they budgeted $35,000 for income from rentals but got $48,000.  Mr. Mausser said that there are 10 units and rent is based on ability to pay, so rental revenue can fluctuate.

Mr. Mausser said that their cash carryover will be $2.3 million in March.

Mrs. Brakey said it looks like a shortfall, but Mr. Mausser said they are going to over-appropriate and spend down reserves.  

Mr. Gorton said that the grants from the opioid fund are going out next Tuesday.  

Tuesday, May 12

Present for most of these hearings were Commissioners James Dvorak, Carolyn Brakey, and Ralph Spidalieri.  Also present were County Administrator Amy Bevan, Budget and Finance Manager Adrian Gorton, Senior Financial Specialist Deborah Ashburn, and Deputy County Administrator Mark Jimison.

12:30 - 1:00 pm - Board of Developmental Disabilities - Assistant Superintendent Dave Carlson, Business Operations Director Rean Davis, and Board President Dave Lair. Superintendent Don Rice was absent due to illness.

Mr. Gorton reviewed some budget highlights:

• There is a small decrease in revenues and property taxes rose a bit.

• $273,000 decrease over all BODD funds

• $100,000 increase for new software services

• “Other” expenses were $228,000 and utilities were $215,000. Mr. Gorton thought some of the expenses might be related to lease expenses. 

• There was a decrease in transfers out expenses.

• The Donation fund had decreased in revenue and expenses.

• Nothing is budgeted for reserve accounts, and the construction fund shows some surplus spending of the cash balance. Expenses but no revenue were budgeted.

• Residential services saw a $500,000 decrease in expenses

Mr. Gorton asked Ms. Davis to explain some of the highlights, specifically regarding the transfers in.

Ms. Davis responded that, as noted, the reserve funds will be depleted as of this year. The only monies coming into the general fund are directly from their reserve fund.

Ms. Davis said in 2024 they had an additional $220,000 cash transfer for workman’s compensation, an anomaly because they usually only see transfers in from their reserve fund. 

The “Other” revenue line is a reconciliation from the state for their Medicaid waivers. They expect the reconciliation payment to go down because they worked with the state to restructure their quarterly payments, their largest expenditure. The restructuring gives them more money upfront rather than receiving a larger reconciliation 2 years after the fact. This change is the reason for the variance in the overall expenditures for the residential services.

Mr. Carlson said cutting the volatility between the projected and actual budgets has been a goal and noted that at last year’s hearing they’d thought there would be a levy on the ballot in 2026. He commented that they are tightening their belts as much as possible. He said It now looks like their next levy request will be in 2028, although it could be even farther into the future. He said the team has been very good at finding new and creative ways of restructuring some of those previously mentioned payments.

Mr. Spidalieri praised the BODD, saying “it’s easy to just keep on asking for more.” Mr. Carlson pointed to the recent failure of 6 out of 12 DODD levies across the state. He noted that they are extremely aware that this passage rate is much lower than DD boards have historically enjoyed. 

Mrs. Brakey asked about the reserve fund, noting that they are seeing $12.3 million in cash despite BODD saying there is nothing left.  She wondered if the funds were restricted. 

Ms. Davis clarified that Ms. Brakey was referring to the overall funds. She explained that the reserve fund will be depleted this year.  That depletion causes the general fund to have a higher balance because the general fund has been backfilled with the reserve funds. Historically, they’ve used the reserve fund as a type of savings account, putting surplus levy collections there and then tapping into it when expenses eventually “creeped up.”

Mrs. Brakey inquired about the residential services fund. Ms. Davis said the funds are earmarked for expenses and revenue specifically related to providing client services to individuals in Geauga County. She stated that the Medicaid waiver match comes out of that fund. Ms. Davis explained that the residential services fund has only one revenue stream which is very low, generally $45,000 a year. Cash transfers from the general fund supplement this fund.

Ms. Davis pointed to some new budget lines for utilities and software subscriptions added this year to provide more budget clarity.

Ms. Davis presented BODD’s current system for tracking the costs of leased space within its buildings, put in place at the request of the Budget Commission in 2024. Reviewer Note: The Budget Commission requested greater transparency regarding its leases. See the March 18, 2024 LWVG Budget Commission Observer Report for more information. To accurately reflect the cost of housing outside entities, expenses such as utilities, maintenance, and portions of staff salaries are initially paid from their normal budget lines and then allocated proportionally to lease accounts based on the amount of space each tenant occupies.

Each month, staff submit adjustment requests to the Auditor’s Office to transfer these allocated costs. As a result, expenses temporarily appear in both the original expenditure accounts and the lease accounts, making overall expenditures look somewhat inflated. However, this method avoids the much more labor-intensive alternative of splitting every invoice among multiple vouchers and checks for each tenant. Ms. Davis said the process has been working smoothly and provides a more accurate picture of the true cost of leased space.

Mr. Gorton asked if the $500,000 drop in the residential services account is a trend line. Ms. Davis said the drop was directly related to their work with the Ohio Department of Disabilities (DOD) to restructure their payments. She said it was more that annual fund projections are more difficult because it is based on usage and authorizations, noting BODD has little control over what people’s authorized needs are. She noted their service providers have almost a year to bill for their service delivery, meaning it takes almost 2 years for BODD to determine if they have overpaid in the past and what the payment was. Refund checks go into their “other revenue” account.  

Mr. Gorton said BODD is in the high 90% as far as using their budget. He noted that the county is trying to cut down as much as possible on unused appropriations and BODD has “done a really good job” in this regard. He said where BODD gets a little bit behind is in materials and supplies and equipment requests and contract services, which fluctuate quite a bit from year to year. 

Mr. Gorton noted the county has a large reserve of money from a previous worker’s compensation rebate which has meant they haven’t had to pull money from departments for worker’s compensation for the last several years and should continue for at least the next few years. Ms. Davis said she liked to allocate at least some funds just in case. He said BODD could reallocate the worker’s comp money to other areas of need for 2027 and 2028. He will alert departments when they go back to pulling funds for that payment.

Mr. Gorton commented that BODD has one of the largest personnel sheets and asked if there were many staff vacancies. Mr. Carlson said they were extremely fortunate to have had “almost no” staff turnover in the recent years, noting that they have staff who have been with them many, many years. The two vacancies earlier in 2026 have both been filled. Though currently fully staffed, they do expect some retirements in the next few years.

Mr. Gorton offered to assist Ms. Davis if she was looking for more “granularity” in categorizing their expenses in such areas as utilities.

Mr. Lair asked if the county was moving toward making county budget categories more uniform, pointing out that “utilities” are labeled differently by different departments. Mr. Gorton said they have been working with departments for more consistent line items for such areas as equipment, fuel and utilities.

Mr. Spidelieri asked for an update on the appeal of the Ohio Tax Commissioner’s decision by the Geauga

County Auditor’s Office regarding BODD’s tax exempt status in relation to the leasing of some parts of the Metzenbaum Center to various parties. Observer Note: See LWV Observer Report from January 30, 2024 Board of County Commissioner’s (BOCC) meeting for the discussion regarding the challenge to BODD’s tax-exempt status by the Auditor’s Office and claim for $700,000 in back taxes, and the LWV Observer Report from the June 18, 2025 BODD meeting for a discussion about the Ohio Tax Commissioner’s decision in favor of BODD and a potential appeal by the Auditor. Mr. Carlson

responded that the last thing they saw was a request for voluntary dismissal on the docket of the Ohio Board of Tax Appeals. He said they’ve heard nothing else since that time. Mr. Gorton stated that they are interpreting the dismissal as the Auditor withdrew his objection. Ms. Davis said there was no additional explanation attached to the docket and that the case was “just closed.”

Mr. Spidalieri asked if they were waiting for a letter about the withdrawal from the Tax Commission. Mr. Gorton stated he wasn’t sure about how the Tax Commission works, but that he thought if an appeal is withdrawn, the original determination letter stating that property is exempt holds.

Mr. Dvorak asked how many houses are on BODD property. Mr. Carlson replied there are 4 houses, 2 occupied, 2 vacant but in good shape and ready to be occupied. The vacant houses have been unoccupied for about 2 years as the trend has been away from institutional to more community-based care. He said there are about 13 people living between the 2 houses on their campus. Mr. Dvorak asked when the last time BODD had been approached about selling one of the houses. Mr. Carlson said 2-3 years ago, BODD resolved that the Board of Commissioners would take over control of the houses. He said in the years before that time, they had been unable to find anyone who was interested. Mr. Dvorak inquired about the possibility of selling the houses. Mr. Carlson said deed restrictions and other limitations would need to be addressed. He felt that use might be easier, then said, “but we’re all ears because we want to make sure that we’re providing a good benefit to the community with those houses.” Later in the meeting, there was discussion about separating utilities such as water and electricity so that the houses could function separately, allowing more flexibility with their use.

Mr. Dvorak asked about the garage BODD owns. Ms. Davis said they have a long-term lease with West Geauga High School who use 2 of the 3 bays. They are invoiced for their share of utilities and pay two-thirds of garage expenses. Mr. Dvorak noted it was a fair income for BODD.

1:06 - 1:52 pm - Prosecutor - Prosecutor Jim Flaiz and Fiscal Coordinator Samantha Harris

Mr. Gorton noted that the Prosecutor’s Office:

• Had a small increase in their non-departmental expenses 

• Budgeted mandated salary increases for employees for 2027

• Had a $6,600 increase in the transfers in revenue requests from the general fund for victim witnesses

• Delinquent tax fund had about a $20,000 decrease in salaries

• Municipal prosecution fund has started to be built up

Mr. Flaiz said the municipal prosecution fund is used for all unincorporated entities, like townships. He stated that they contract with Chardon which doesn’t generate a lot of money, noting that $14,000 had come last year. Observer Note: Under a Settlement Agreement with the City of Chardon, the County Prosecutor is assigned some work that had previously been done by the Municipal Prosecutor’s office. Chardon City still has their own prosecutor, and unincorporated municipalities, like townships, were switched to the County. 

To calculate revenues and expenses for Chardon, Mr. Flaiz said he determines the total number of municipal cases in the county, isolates the municipalities, and then applies Chardon’s percentage of those prosecutions. Chardon’s share has typically ranged from about 7% to 9% of the municipal caseload, depending on the volume of cases. The percentage can increase even if Chardon’s caseload remains steady when other jurisdictions, such as Bainbridge or the Sheriff’s Office, have fewer cases in a given year. As a result, the amount charged to Chardon fluctuates, generally ranging from approximately $12,000 to $20,000 annually. Mr. Flaiz said he is comfortable budgeting $20,000 for the fund. 

Mr. Flaiz wants to add funds to a new line item for materials and supplies to better track spending instead of “everything coming out of the same fund.”

Mr. Flaiz mentioned a part-time legal assistant who works about 20 hours a week when court is in session and assists with “various items,” such as working with unrepresented people to complete legal forms. His goal for next year is to reduce his general fund salary line item by $15-20,000 and pay the legal assistant out of that fund, which he thinks is sustainable year to year.

Mr. Flaiz said municipal prosecution costs are difficult to predict because they depend on both his office’s total municipal prosecution expenses and each municipality’s share of the countywide caseload.

Mr. Flaiz estimates the wage increase will be about $30,000-$40,000 total.

The biggest jump in expenses was on membership dues, licenses and subscriptions which rose from $10,000 to $18,000. He cut his travel budget and reduced supplies. Contract services include bar membership and the license for Cellebrite, a digital forensics and intelligence platform, which costs $12,000 annually. Mr. Flaiz gave an example of how they use the Cellebrite software, which searches the contents of a phone and provides an analysis of the data which is turned over in discovery. He said their goal is to centralize phone search warrants for all the agencies so that municipalities don’t have to pay to do their own analysis.  

In response to Mr. Spidalieri’s question about bar memberships, Mr. Flaiz said his policy is for his office to pay for bar association dues if the attorney agrees to be on one of the committees and “do something for the bar on your own time.” Only six attorneys take him up on it.

Mr. Spidalieri also asked about training and continuing education costs for Mr. Flaiz’s department. Mr. Flaiz said he “does all of that” but doesn’t put those costs in this budget.  Instead, he tries to do all the training and some equipment expenditures out of the Furtherance of Justice (FOJ) fund available to him and the Sheriff.

Mr. Flaiz said he tries to keep a schedule of replacing items, such as new computers, and will use surplus FOJ funds to make those purchases.

Mr. Gorton noted Mr. Flaiz makes good use of his budget and usually gives some money back. 

Mr. Gorton informed Mr. Flaiz that there is a separate software expense account if he wanted to break out their software expenses out from licenses, dues and subscriptions. Mr. Gorton noted that subscription-based services have become very expensive and that it could be beneficial to track software expenses more closely. Ms. Harris said they would consider that. Mr. Flaiz stated they try to spread out their licenses among different cost centers so it may not work well. He agreed, however, that it gives more oversight as to how money is being spent.

Mr. Gorton asked if their office was fully staffed, and Mr. Flaiz said there is one position in municipal court that needs to be filled. He stated it has been a challenge and that hiring is very hard, saying he’s held positions open for 9 months looking for the right person. He noted that someone who isn’t “a team player” could be very disruptive given their crowded office space. 

Mr. Gorton asked about their office renovations, and Mr. Flaiz said it was taking too long, though he is proud that they are under budget. He stated that it was going well and though construction could be disruptive, the staff would work through it. He said the security upgrades are “huge” and the lobby paneling is all level 3 ballistic protection which is much more secure though “less inviting.” The renovations are also creating three additional offices. 

Mr. Flaiz said he put in the wage increases in his budget and commented that the previous three-year salary budget was nice for planning. Observer Note: County employees are generally scheduled for a 3% wage increase in 2027, following a multi-year compensation plan approved by the County Commissioners that also included raises of 5% in 2023 and 3% in 2024 and 2025. To calculate the raises, he said he took 4% and rounded down the levels to 3.8 or 3.9%, commenting that he felt like their tax budget should reflect a salary increase, but will leave the decision up to the Commissioners’ discretion. He commented that raises have never been done the same way in the 14 years he’s been with the county. Mr. Gorton agreed that the amount and timing of raises vary among departments. Mr. Flaiz said he wished that the process was more uniform in timing but that they always try to follow the guidelines the Commissioners decide.

Mrs. Brakey said it was good feedback and that the reason they didn’t do a multi-year budget for raises was because of union negotiations. Mr. Flaiz said he wouldn’t do a multi-year if he were “sitting in her chair.”  Mr. Dvorak further explained that they went from a 3-year budget to a one year because they were working on a longevity program and a plan for retaining employees which need more time. 

Mr. Flaiz said his strong preference would be that raises be part of the tax budget.

Mr. Gorton asked Mr. Flaiz for his input on how to avoid a budget surplus like Geauga County’s $16 million carry-over last year. Observer Note: Mr. Flaiz is one of three members on the Budget Commission, along with the Auditor and Treasurer. He said they are largely the result of conservative budgeting practices that overestimate expenses and underestimate revenues. He noted estimates are based on “worst case scenarios” and that actual expenditures often come in below appropriations, while revenues exceed projections, creating large year-end balances. Mr. Gorton said adjusting for this is difficult because any attempt to predict actual spending and revenue levels would be speculative rather than based on accounting data. He added that many counties experience the same issue, with substantial general fund balances resulting from cautious budgeting.

Mr. Flaiz suggested that a significant contributor to the surplus is departments budgeting for positions that remain unfilled for much of the year. He cited the Sheriff’s Office and Engineer’s Office as examples, noting that vacant positions could leave hundreds of thousands—or even millions—of dollars in appropriated funds unspent. Mr. Flaiz said the county should do a better job identifying these situations during the budget process.

They also discussed sales tax revenues, which have consistently exceeded projections in recent years. Mr. Flaiz complimented Mr. Gorton on the accuracy of his sales tax collection estimates. Mr. Gorton attributed much of the growth to the increase in taxable online and home-delivery purchases following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of the Quill decision. Reviewer Note: More information on this decision is available here. He noted that sales tax collections continue to outperform expectations and are currently one of the county’s strongest revenue sources.

Mr. Flaiz encouraged Mr. Gorton to provide the Budget Commission with written analysis identifying anticipated unspent appropriations and revenue trends so that year-end surpluses are better understood in advance. Both agreed that regularly monitoring spending levels, particularly percentage of budget spent and vacancy rates, could help identify budget variances earlier in the year rather than waiting until year-end. 

Mrs. Brakey wondered if they should add another civil prosecutor to help with caseloads, saying she suspects the staff is overworked. Mr. Flaiz agreed that additional staffing on the civil side would be helpful, saying they have 56 civil clients and 4 full-time attorneys and one part-time attorney. He pointed out that Lake County only represents one township while the other 4 townships hire their own legal counsel whereas all 16 of Geauga’s townships exclusively use their office. He noted that up until now they didn’t have the physical space for another person. Mrs. Brakey asked if the county wouldn’t save money in the long run to hire someone and get rid of the need for more outside counsel. Mr. Flaiz said he tries to limit using outside counsel to conflicts of interest or extremely complex or union cases.

Mr. Spidelieri suggested exploring whether an attorney from the Prosecutor’s Office could work out of the County Office Building as a resource to better support the Commissioners and county departments that frequently require legal review and guidance. Mr. Spidelieri said he would support discussions about funding such an operation. He envisioned this attorney as an extension of the Prosecutor’s Office who would remain under its structure and supervision. 

Mr. Flaiz said there may be legal limits to such an arrangement but was open to discussing the idea and emphasized his desire to provide good service. He said staffing limitations affect the level of service his office can provide on the civil side and that his office focuses on providing an adequate level of service while being mindful of taxpayers’ costs. He noted that significantly increasing service levels would likely require hiring two or three additional employees.

Mr. Flaiz added that some of the burden on his office comes from serving townships and suggested that it would help if townships contributed more toward the cost of those legal services. He also noted that staffing assignments must be managed carefully to avoid pulling attorneys away from county responsibilities.

Ultimately, it was acknowledged that the Commissioners and Prosecutor agree on the need to hire another attorney and the county’s willingness to pay for the position.

1:53 - 2:00 pm – Veterans Service Commission - Director Michelle Pemberton and Veterans Service Commission member Skip Boehnlein 

Ms. Pemberton stated that the KIA Memorial project for which they requested additional funds in 2023 was done and would be dedicated on Friday, May 15 in Chardon Square. She said it was beautiful and couldn’t wait for everyone to see it.

She said they are not requesting any additional funds this year as they “have appropriated just the amount that we need.” They’ve reduced expenses in some areas, particularly medical costs as staff have moved off of family insurance plans. She also noted that the veterans who work for the county have the choice of using the VA instead of local hospitals.

Mr. Gorton confirmed that their budget included wage increases for next year which were about $40,000 more than the previous year. Ms. Pemberton said that was just a “guesstimate,” but it was based on Board of Commissioners directives. 

Mr. Gorton asked if the Veterans Commission would be comfortable starting with fewer funds in their relief allowance since they typically spend around $10,000, a very small amount of the total. He explained that the county is trying to cut down on extra unused appropriations. He emphasized that the county is completely fine with giving them however much money they need and could supplement funds if necessary. He noted that unused appropriations last year were roughly $5 million in just the county’s general fund and he is “just looking for little places where I might go make that up. I don't think anybody here says that we don't owe you guys the appropriations for what you guys do.” 

Ms. Pemberton said that a reduction would be perfectly fine if the county agrees to provide funds if needed. She spoke about the large increase in federal funding for compensation benefits they now receive compared to 20 years ago, going from $4 million for 10,000 veterans to almost $12 million for 5,400 veterans. She said they want to save local taxpayers as much money as possible. Ms. Pemberton also commented that they try to use other agencies as well to “balance things out.”

Mr. Gorton said he would reach out to her if he needs to “change the numbers.” Ms. Pemberton thanked Mr. Gorton, saying, “we want to work together and make sure everybody has enough money.”

Mr. Gorton said he hoped to see her on Friday at the memorial dedication. Ms. Pemberton said a Gold Star mother would be giving a speech.

2:04 - 2:20 pm - Recorder - Celesta Mullins, Recorder

Ms. Mullins commented that she thinks her budget is pretty simple. Their main funding source is the recordings which in turn depend on the economy and strength of the housing market. She said after a recent dip, the market is now headed in “a better direction.”

Mrs. Mullins stated they have processed 3,900 documents so far this year and already taken in $255,000. Last year they processed a little over 12,000 documents. She reminded the Commissioners that half of their funds go directly to the state and that it is frustrating that “not a lot” comes back to the county.

Ms. Mullins said she has only 3 staff members and works alongside them daily. Mr. Gorton asked about plans to add another person so that they can cross train with a staff member who is retiring. Ms. Mullins says the staff member at retirement age is unsure if she can afford to retire completely and has asked to work part-time instead. Ms. Mullins said it would be helpful to have the employee stay to help with scanning and indexing documents to comply with Senate Bill 94, which mandates all Ohio county recorders offer a system for the electronic recording of deeds, mortgages and other related documents by June 30, 2026 for 1980 and onward. She would also like to hire another full-time person which would allow her time to work on other projects. 

Ms. Mullins stated that their main expenses are for salaries and office supplies, like paper and toner. She noted that over one-seventh, about $3,000, of their expenditures goes toward recorder association dues. Her office also must now pay for computer software. 

For future projects, Ms. Mullins would like to continue to do the document scanning pre-1980 to provide easy access for the public. She said they also need to update some printers and perhaps some computers. They are currently using computers that their vendor left them and are unsure how long their software will be supported. In addition, she would like help to “clean up and organize” their upper office area and the bathroom. 

Ms. Mullins spoke about the low wages her staff receives compared with similar positions in the county, saying that two of her staff are in the bottom 5 of wages paid in Geauga. She said it was “really unfortunate,” noting that all her employees have been there for over 10 years. 

There followed a discussion about handling compensation in the county. It was suggested that Ms. Mullin gather information on recorder staff salaries from counties of comparable size and who process similar numbers of documents. Mr. Gorton suggested Ms. Mullins could then “crunch the numbers” and give him a total of what she would need in raises. The requests would then be presented to the Commissioners for approval. Mrs. Brakey agreed with this approach saying, “often when we do that in the county, what we find out is we're very underpaid, and I think it makes a pretty compelling argument.” Ms. Mullins said she could provide this information.

Mr. Gorton suggested that Ms. Mullins could collect salary information when she attends the next Ohio Recorders Association meeting in June. 

Ms. Mullins noted that the staff responsibly handles over $800,000 a year in fees and understands statutes regarding legal documents.  Mr. Gorton acknowledged that “they obviously love working with you (Ms. Mullins) because you're right, they have been very loyal to you… it's amazing that they have stayed there that long.”

Mr. Spidalieri agreed that the staff, including Ms. Mullins, seemed underpaid, telling her, “Your salary is small, so probably 18%, 17% of what you're bringing in.” 

Ms. Mullins repeated that she hadn’t increased her budget very much over the years, trying to keep it steady or even under budget. She expressed appreciation for the funds the Commissioners granted to help pay for compliance with SB 94 and said she is still trying to get that money back through a reimbursement grant.

Mr. Spidalieri mentioned the large growth in housing developments in the county and the increased work that it will create for the Recorder’s Office. He said if a department can handle increased volume, keeping the staff low could justify higher pay.

Ms. Mullins said she needs more than 2 people to provide checks and balances and ensure accuracy when processing documents. 

Ms. Mullins announced they are excited that their credit card machine is up and running and hope to have their electronic conveyances available by the end of the month.  

Mr. Dvorak asked if Ms. Mullins expected less foot traffic now that documents are available electronically. She responded, “yes and no.” She said that people who need pre-1980 document information would still need to come in as well as residents who want images without a watermark.

2:23 - 2:31 pm - Public Defender - Chief Public Defender Paul Mooney and Office Administrator Victoria Janasik

Mr. Gorton reported that the increase in the payroll accounts was $31,000 and that salaries were the main adjustment from the last year. 

Ms. Janasik confirmed that they did not put in any salary increases.  

Mr. Mooney noted that healthcare was decreased a little due to his switch to an individual from a family plan. He also said there are minor increases based on current expenses, materials and other items.

Mr. Gorton asked how their office renovations were going. Mr. Mooney said the office needed some updating but is still functional. Ms. Janasik said the location is good. Mr. Mooney commented they need to be on the Chardon Square and their location near the courthouse logistically makes sense. Mr. Gorton said he knows there are some restrictions on where the public defender’s office can be located in relation to other departments, such as the Prosecutor’s Office. Mr. Mooney noted that it would be odd to be near the County Prosecutor because clients think they’re related to them. He joked that they spend most of their days convincing clients that they’re separate from the court and the prosecutors.

Ms. Janasik noted that the renovations will be reimbursed by the state at a rate which is currently 80%. Mr. Gorton confirmed that any reimbursement request must be related to the Public Defender’s Office. Mr. Gorton noted the county must submit a report of projected costs so that the state can adjust reimbursement rates based on funds available in their budget, which has a 2-year cycle.

Mr. Gorton asked if their department was at full staff and Mr. Mooney said yes, they have 4 attorneys and 3 support staff. He continued that their caseload is on track to be a little more than last year, but they are absorbing the increase well with current staff.

Mr. Dvorak asked about the hourly rate for court appointed attorneys. Ms. Janasik said a court-appointed attorney receives $75 an hour. Mr. Dvorak wondered if it were hard to find attorneys at that rate. Mr. Mooney said he thought there was a “decent list” but not many on it. Mr. Dvorak wondered if those with new law licenses are the attorneys available. Mr. Mooney said new attorneys would be qualified to handle misdemeanors but would need more experience to manage felony cases.

Mr. Jimison asked if the attorneys can write off the difference between their usual fee and what they receive for the court appointed cases. Mr. Mooney didn’t think they could do that.

Commissioner Spidalieri left the meeting at this point and did not return for the rest of the afternoon. 

2:41 – 3:03 pm - Emergency Management Agency - Director Austin Rice 

Mr. Gorton provided budget highlights that included:

• A net reduction of about $200 in revenue from 2026 

• Overall reduction in expenses, including $3,000 in materials and supplies and $1,000 each in “Other”  

• An increase in revenue from the utility and general fund, totaling over $68,000

• A 25% increase in payroll expenses. Mr. Gorton noted that 2026 had not been budgeted properly which accounted for a big part of the difference. 

• An overall decrease in the remaining expense accounts of about $26,000. 

Mr. Gorton noted that Mr. Rice had been “moving amounts around and recalibrating,” and had a $15,000 increase in equipment expenses. Mr. Gorton commented that he thought there was a plan to set aside some appropriations to build up the cash balance in order to purchase a new vehicle. Mr. Rice concurred.

Mr. Rice said a review of more than 10 years of financial records revealed that the Emergency Management Agency has effectively operated at a deficit for over a decade, despite budgets appearing balanced on paper. He determined that the discrepancy stems from the fact that annual budgets included approximately $79,000 in transfers from the general fund, but EMA was only receiving about $35,000 of that amount. The remaining roughly $44,000 was budgeted but never actually transferred because previous EMA directors hadn’t made the requisite request from the Commissioners. 

Commissioner Brakey asked whether the untransferred money simply remained in the general fund, and Mr. Rice said that appears to be the case. Mr. Gorton explained that some transfers require departments to request the funds, and if no request is made, the transfer may not occur even if it is included in the budget.

As a result, Mr. Rice said EMA has been covering operating shortfalls by drawing down its cash reserves for many years. He stated that the department “ten years ago or so” had a substantial cash balance, but those reserves have steadily declined while also funding major purchases such as vehicles and computer replacements. He noted that the department will likely make it through 2026 but cannot continue operating in the same manner through 2027 without additional funding.

Their 2027 budget proposal assumes EMA will finally receive the long-approved but previously untransferred $44,000 and requests an additional $39,494. He argued that the department has effectively gone more than a decade without receiving the full budgeted transfers or any meaningful increase in support. 

Mrs. Brakey characterized the issue as partly a procedural breakdown, suggesting previous directors never came before the Commissioners to request the additional funding. Mr. Rice agreed, saying the department instead relied on reserves rather than formally requesting the transfers. Mr. Gorton added that he became concerned this year when EMA’s cash balance dropped to dangerously low levels. Mr. Rice said the balance had at times fallen below $50,000 and may have been as low as about $30,000—roughly enough to cover only about a month of operations.

Mr. Rice said this budget situation took many months to investigate and thanked Mr. Gorton and county administrators for their help. Mr. Rice said the budget scrutiny allowed them to reallocate funds and “trim the fat” in such areas as electrical meters and phone service contracts. 

There was extended discussion about EMA’s current vehicles, which are “newer” as well as future needs. Mr. Rice said they would like a new vehicle to replace one that is ten years old but are unable to get one and are working with the Sheriff to procure a used vehicle. 

Mr. Rice commented that “everything is kind of falling apart in the building…furniture, monitors, chairs, everything needs updating.” He said they are working with maintenance to get unused furniture and equipment from other buildings.

He said what they are requesting is just the bare minimum to keep operating, but there are “other things they could be doing” that require funds, such as special teams training.

Mr. Gorton closed the meeting by asking Mrs. Brakey (the only Commissioner in the room at that moment. Mr. Dvorak had briefly stepped out.) if she was agreeable to Mr. Rice coming before the Commissioners to request the already approved funds to meet their budget. She said yes. Mr. Rice noted it would be convenient if they could receive their funds for both this year and next year.

Mr. Gorton commended Mr. Rice on his budget.

3:04 to 3:24 pm - Law Library – Director Krystal Thompson and Pearce Leary, Board Member

Mr. Gorton said he noticed that they did not have a sufficient amount in their hospitalization fund, having stated their insurance need as $24,043.68 but only budgeting $16,720. Ms. Thompson said the $16,720 is the correct amount. She explained that the calculations are based on her working 40 hours a week, but she works only 30. She said when she corrects the hourly rate, the amount automatically changes. Mr. Gorton said they would keep an eye on it.

Mr. Gorton invited Ms. Thompson to update the Commissioners on their contracts and various legal services, including utilization. He noted that they had to transfer funds towards the end of last year to keep things afloat. Ms. Thompson said they are down to about $3,500 in their cash balance, noting they have slowly pulled funds from it over the years any time revenue has fallen short. She stated that last year they requested $20,000 to make up for revenue shortfall to cover Westlaw (a legal research platform) for the courts, Prosecutor's Office, and Public Defender's Office.

Ms. Thompson said some service contracts will expire at the end of this month. She stated they would like to renew them but cannot afford to given the high cost. She said when she started her job, Westlaw was about $1,500 a month, and now the cheapest option, which does not include their patron access, will be about $3,600 a month. She noted that their revenue keeps getting lower.

Mr. Leary listed the different services they have had to cut, including Lexus (a legal database) and most Westlaw computer access at the library. He said they pay for 25 licenses across Geauga County and will either need to ask the users to pay for them or request the county make up the shortfall. He emphasized they have nowhere else to cut expenses. 

Mrs. Brakey asked who uses Westlaw. Ms. Thompson responded that attorneys in the court, Prosecutor’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, and the Auditor’s Office are the primary users. She noted that they also get another 25 free licenses which are used by interns and those doing research in county legal offices.

Mr. Gorton said it seems like the downturn in revenue from fees and fines from the courts is continuing to fall behind the law library’s needs. Mr. Leary agreed, stating that they have had a cushion for 30 years from a lawsuit settlement that paid a “6 figure number” which they would go into every year for $5,000-$7,000.

Mrs. Brakey asked if court fees are set by statute. Mr. Leary said their revenue is from a percentage of traffic tickets set by Ohio Revised Code. It was noted that revenue has been flat and expenses are going way up. Ms. Thompson pointed out that all county law libraries are having this same issue. She noted that some law libraries handle the contracts, but require each office to pay for its own. She is not sure how other libraries implement this. She said the other funding approach is to wait until year end and then request the shortfall from the general fund.

Mr. Gorton suggested they consider budgeting for this now, given the reduction in fee revenue and increase in costs. He asked if the budget expenses include the increased costs of Westlaw renewal. Ms. Thompson said no and that she would like his help adjusting the budget.

Mr. Gorton said the simplest remedy, pending Commissioners’ approval, is to coordinate a general fund cash transfer to supplement their operations, noting that all the departments using Westlaw are in the general fund. 

Mrs. Brakey said she imagined the number of accounts among offices is “pretty consistent” and the only reason she could see having the law library bill those offices would be so that they would have “critical eyes” on how many licenses they are using and whether they are getting their money’s worth.

Ms. Thompson said they have $57,500 budgeted for contract services, with Westlaw costing $43,200 annually. Ms. Thompson said contract services also include the Westlaw Patron account, which is $1,600 a month. Ms. Thompson noted that Westlaw carefully monitors access and will notify the library if document limits are exceeded. Mr. Dvorak noted that both members of the public and attorneys use the Westlaw Patron service. Ms. Thompson agreed.

Mr. Gorton pointed out their cash balance of about $18,000 “isn’t bad,” and he said that contract services may be a little underbudgeted and revenue is overbudgeted. He asked the library to entertain lowering revenue and then doing a $25,000 transfer in from the general fund to cover expenses. 

Mr. Gorton said the consensus from the discussion appears to be that Westlaw is a valuable service for multiple departments and that they should be paying for it because they are all general fund departments. He suggested the situation may be something to revisit for 2028.

Ms. Thompson said it would be nice to have a long-term solution as it’s been “a roller coaster ride.”

3:29 - 3:55 pm - Dog Warden - Matt Granito, Dog Warden

Mr. Granito reminded the Commissioners that he does not receive any income from the general fund. 

He summarized recent budgets:

• $7,000 deficit in 2021

• About $25,000 deficit in 2022 and 2023

• $60,000 deficit in 2024 (noting 2024 salary increases)

• $85,000 surplus in 2025

• 2026 is on budget 

He noted that the 2025 surplus was due to a $160,000 donation. They avoided a $20-$30,000 shortfall in 2026 due to losing an employee which reduced their healthcare costs. He noted that healthcare costs are 20% of his budget.

Mr. Granito asked to discuss increasing dog license fees, which are currently $15 and had not been raised since 2018. He has consulted with other area dog wardens and found that most charge $20 for a license. All the dog wardens are considering raising fees to at least $18, which is the state average. Mr. Granito hopes to coordinate with other wardens to raise fees at the same time. He stated a raise to $18 would increase fee revenue to $30,000; a $20 fee would raise $50,000.  Mr. Granito stated that the area dog wardens have an informal agreement to honor each other’s licenses in the first year they are issued when a dog is adopted in a different county. 

Mr. Granito said they have considered increasing impound fees and adoption fees because their adoptions are getting expensive. They can’t recoup spay/neuter costs that are up to $150 a dog.

Mr. Granito asked to discuss donations to the shelter and the possibility of creating a 501(c)(3) account for donations. He noted that they have allocated $200,000 for donations, which is 30% of their budget. Mr. Dvorak pointed out that the Department of Child and Family Services has a 501(c)(3) account. Mr. Granito said he wants “to push this across the finish line by the end of the year,” saying that non-profit status could allow them to apply for available grants and potentially partner with local businesses like Preston Auto to fundraise. Such a change would also allow the county to control the fund.

Ms. Bevan noted that Mr. Granito has asked her about doing a working session about fees.

Mrs. Brakey said she thought the taxpayers, not the greater community, should be responsible for paying for services they use, citing dog owners as an example. Mr. Granito agreed, saying that there needs to be a charge for such services as house calls for runaway dogs. 

Mr. Granito said they are $16,000 up from last year in dog license sales. He commented that the mailer sent to all residents has paid for itself in fees and given them a database of licensees. Mr. Granito said that they already have a list of dog owners they contact every year on February 1 (after the license purchase deadline of January 31) and remind them to buy their license.

There was additional discussion about license fees, with the consensus being that a raise to $20 is preferable. 

Mr. Granito said their budget is pretty “consistent every year,” and after a modest revenue increase and increased payroll costs, they forecast an overall reduction of $18-$19,000.

As a final point, Mr. Granito explained that a large apparent year-end carryover in their budget is misleading. Because dog licenses for the next year begin selling on December 1, those funds are already budgeted for the upcoming year’s expenses. As a result, the money may appear as an unencumbered balance or carryover, leading some to believe the department has excess funds, when in reality those revenues have already been allocated to the next year’s budget.

Mr. Gorton commented how unusual it was for the dog warden’s revenue to continually go up from December to April. Mr. Granito said that April is when they stop going after owners for dog license non-compliance. 

Mr. Gorton asked Mr. Granito to keep them informed about the timing of the license fee increase.

Ms. Bevan said their June meeting is a working session that would be open for discussion of the fee change.

Mrs. Brakey asked about the $250,000 which was previously allocated for a new dog shelter. Mr. Dvorak said it was allocated for a new building in 4 ½ years. She said she “hates that there’s $250,000 just sitting there doing nothing.” 

Mr. Granito said he has created an RFP (request for proposals) in order to get bids and establish the cost for a new building. He expressed concern over the public response to their incurring costs for the project without moving forward. He also mentioned concern for keeping engagement with an anonymous donor, who has promised $250-$400,000. Mr. Granito said he thinks they can gain a lot of traction if they become a non-profit.

Ms. Bevan praised Mr. Granito’s ability to establish relationships and wondered if he had considered collaborating with other dog wardens to build a joint facility. Mr. Granito explained that various situations with different shelters, such as distance and unadoptable dogs, took a joint shelter “off the table.” 

3:55 – 4:02 pm - Clerk of Courts - Sheila Bevington, Clerk of Courts 

Mr. Gorton noted that the Clerk of Courts budget showed: 

• $10,000 increase in fees 

• $3,000 decrease in fines and non-departmental overall expenses 

• $50,000 increase in fees in the certificate of title administration and a $50,000 corresponding increase to salaries and related benefits 

• $2,300 increase in “Other,” a $2,500 increase in card service expenses, and slight decrease in materials and supplies

 

Mr. Gorton noted that as an elected official Ms. Bevington received a salary increase by statute and that she had budgeted about a 4.5% increase in her payroll. He commented that her office typically includes salary increases in her budget every year. 

Mr. Gorton asked Ms. Bevington for an update on her department. She referred officials to a chart showing revenue collections from 2022 through year to date, noting they have increased each year. A second chart showed revenue from the Attorney General which has fluctuated year to year. She explained that this revenue is tied to income tax refunds and lottery games. She noted it doesn’t cost them anything to use the Attorney General’s Office for tax collection which is why they switched from private collection agencies in 2013. She said it was unfortunate that her office has received only $219,000 out of the $2.4 million they had sent to the AG for collection, noting that it’s not always easy to collect from people.  

 

Ms. Bevington stated that they have been sending out a lot more cost bills and are catching up on older cases from before her arrival. She attributed the revenue increases in recent years to this effort. 

 

Mr. Gorton asked if the $285,000 budgeted for fee revenue is sufficient, pointing to last year’s $374,000 in receipts. He wondered if they have budgeted sufficient revenue for all their operations and encouraged her to be more aggressive in her estimates if this trend continues. He pointed, as an example, to the certificate of title funds budgeted this year at $550,000 while in the last two years, revenue has been $600,000 and $630,000. 

 

Mr. Gorton asked how everything was going with their new office and if their proximity to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles has been beneficial. She said, “It's wonderful.” They’ve started doing the watercraft registration which saves residents a trip to another location.

4:06 - 4:20 pm - Planning Commission - Director Linda Crombie

Ms. Crombie stated that their total requested budget for 2027 is $283,078.36 which is a $28,000 increase from the previous year. The main reason for the increase is a change in an employee’s healthcare from an individual to a family plan. The budget already accounts for salary increases acted on by the Planning Commission in March 2026. 

She noted they are requesting a replacement 2022 laptop and a new battery backup. They are trying to stay with a five-year replacement cycle for their computers. 

She increased the “Other” account from $2,700 to $3,500 to cover unexpected expenses, saying “sometimes I feel like I leave that ‘Other’ account a little too lean.” She later expressed concern that she was budgeting too closely “basically using up 99% of the funds.”

Mr. Gorton agreed that their budget is “one of the better ones” and that they are at 98-99% utilization of their appropriations.

Ms. Crombie called attention to her staffing request for a farmland coordinator to oversee farmland preservation efforts, including promoting agriculture to the community and serving as a liaison between various government agencies. She said she has been waiting to ask for another employee for this very small department noting this is a position that used to exist. She stated that it would help their office execute the Farmland Preservation Plan update. She detailed the agricultural nature of the county and the ways in which a farmland coordinator could promote agricultural programs across the county. She stated that the Planning Commissioners are on board with this request.

Mr. Dvorak asked about the farmland preservation grant for $25,000 that the Planning Commission had recently received. The grant is to fund the update to the existing plan which dates back to 2008. Ms. Crombie said she and Allyson Kobus, Planner II and GIS coordinator, were currently doing the update themselves.

Ms. Crombie cited the various statutory duties of their office, including lot splits and subdivision reviews, updating the county’s general plan for next year as well as the farmland preservation plan update. 

Mrs. Brakey said she is not persuaded about the need for the position, stating, “I hear from residents every single day about how they can’t afford their property taxes…. So my appetite for adding people is pretty low unless I see a compelling value to the county.” She asked if Ms. Crombie thought they could find someone for $24 an hour. Ms. Crombie thought so, pointing out that the salary was a starting point and comparable to rates in other communities. She also noted that the amount allocated for healthcare insurance, $77,000 total, was at the upper level since they didn’t know if the hire would be on a single or family plan.  They would seek a person with a degree in planning, geography or the environment.

Ms. Crombie conceded that she had been hesitant to bring the request to the Planning Commissioners because they could theoretically wait until 2028, when the Farmland Preservation Plan was completed and its recommendations were known. She said the Planning Commission sees value in the new position. She noted that an additional person would free her and Ms. Kobus for other tasks, such as replating and creating information sheets for their website. 

Tuesday May 19, 2026

Present for these hearings were Commissioners Carolyn Brakey, James Dvorak and Ralph Spidalieri.  Mr. Spidalieri arrived at 12:37 pm and left before the last session.  Mr. Dvorak also left early, and their departures will be noted.  

Also present were County Administrator Amy Bevan, Mark Jimison (arrived late), and Budget and Finance Manager Adrian Gorton. Senior Financial Specialist Deborah Ashburn was absent.  

12:30 - 1:20 pm Job and Family Service - Craig Swenson, Executive Director, Alyssa Steinhoff, Financial Administrator, and Assistant Director Paul Reiman

PCSA (Public Children Services Account) Fund -  Mr. Swenson said this fund is well funded with two operating levies ($4.1 million) and commitments from the State.  He said they receive two-thirds of fund revenue from the levies.  He discussed his concerns regarding property taxes and the impact of reducing or eliminating property taxes on the services they are required to provide.  He also said that the cost of living and placement costs for youth have nearly doubled.  He cited costs for a residential placement at Bellfaire.  It now costs $900 - $1,000 a night while five or six years ago it was $500. He said that they are close to being fully staffed, which he attributed to the “fruits of their compensation plan.” Reviewer Note: Learn more about Bellfaire Jewish Children’s Bureau here.

Geauga Youth Center - Mr. Swenson said they are in a “holding pattern with the State.”  He said that energy costs and delivery of items are concerns due to the closing of the Strait of Hormuz. He said that right now they have low custody numbers but that some other counties are having a crisis.

Public Assistance - Mr. Swenson said that the amount needed continues to be short. They have been  “flat funded in Medicaid and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).”  They have had to contribute a minimum of $160,000 to the cash balance even though they have reduced staffing by one. The percentage of funding is the same but the amount is lower.   

He said that there are lots of unknowns with SNAP and Medicaid due to: recent changes to SNAP case processing, the impacts of the SNAP state error rate, and upcoming impacts of implementing the new Medicaid work requirements. Observer Note:  See information concerning some of these changes here.

Child Support - Funding has been flat and caseloads continue to diminish. They have reduced staff from four to three case managers.  Mr. Swenson said that three more will retire and only two of those positions will be filled.  He said that he hopes that not filling positions will be sufficient.

Workforce Development Funding - Mr. Swenson said they received a devastating $200,000 cut last year, which is just two-thirds of the normal amount from the Federal Government. The amount is based on unemployment.  Mr. Dvorak said that Geauga tied with Medina for lowest unemployment rate. Mr. Swenson said they had to completely restructure the department.  They created the Workforce Specialist position and did fill it, but the person resigned.  He gave a “shout out to Auburn Career” for being a great partner. He said that even if there were an increase in funding, which could happen, he is not inclined to go back to the prior model, but instead use savings to put money into the community rather than hiring.

Budget considerations going forward

• County Cost Allocation - Mr. Swenson thanked the Commissioners for working with them in determining their cost allocation (or portion of building expenses for which they are responsible).  He said that when they moved into the new county office building their cost allocation was significantly higher than their prior location next to the hospital.  He thanked Mr. Gorton for applying the same cost allocation formula to JFS as they did for the Office on Aging and Water Resources.

• Emergency Services -  Mr. Swenson said that they passed this grant on to Lifeline and the employee who did that work was transferred there.  He said this has been good for clients. Ms. Steinhoff said that she is unsure as to whether they will continue to be able to transfer these funds in the future. Among the Emergency Services that go through Lifeline is HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program) that provides cooling and heating.

• Contract Review - Mr. Swenson said that  they are taking a closer look at some community-based contracts up for renewal.  They have been able to do this in the past, but if they need to pull back any of them to have money for required services, they will look into that.

• Fleet Management - Mr. Swenson said that they didn’t purchase a vehicle the prior year, but they will need to add another vehicle for use in public assistance.

Other Questions: Mr. Spidalieri asked who paid for the JFS investigator, and Ms. Steinhoff said that it was through the Prosecutor and JFS.

Mr. Dvorak asked how much they spent on handouts at the Geauga Fair.  Ms. Steinhoff said she guessed it was $100 for each of two groups, including Family First.  She said JFS generates some materials for  foster care and recruitment which would be under the advertising line.  She said the advertising budget also includes vacancy postings in Indeed and in public notices.  Mr. Swenson said that they have a digital marketing company that they go to for help when needed.  He said that they have greatly increased their advertising to attract new foster families. 

Mr. Dvorak asked about youth aging out of the system and if they can get help through JFS.  Mr. Swenson said that they can assist after age 18 until graduation from high school, but JFS can also be involved until the individual reaches age 22.  Mr. Dvorak asked about guardianship for adults.  Mr. Swenson said there is a separate parameter and law under guardianship - both of the estate and/or the person.  He said this would involve competency and a court hearing. Mr. Swenson said they can ask for “legal custody” instead of adoption.  He said this is not preferable because it is not permanent and the child is getting the message that “you are not part of this family.”

Mrs. Brakey asked about the Youth Center.  She said she assumed the funds were coming out of the Children’s Services Fund.  Mr. Swenson said that the escrow agreement has been sent to the State for the grant and they have been waiting for two months.  He said that they can’t move on the Youth Center without that grant money secured.  Mrs. Brakey asked if it would help to have a Commissioner reach out for help.  Mr. Swenson said they would accept any help and said he would forward the name of the point person.  This person from the State has said it is in the “hands of legal.”  Mr. Swenson said that the grant was for a million dollars.  Ms. Steinhoff said the needed additional money was in last year’s budget, but is still in this year’s budget.  They will re-appropriate it when they hear about the grant from the State. Mrs. Brakey noted that as a result of the delay, JFS has an extremely high cash carryover.  Mr. Swenson said that the Budget Commission has been very understanding.  

Mr. Swenson also said that they are nervous that the cost for the Youth Center might now be $7 million (instead of $5.5 million).  He said that it is in the $9 million cash carryover but they also want to always have a cash balance of $2 million due to variables that could come up. 

Mr Dvorak noted that they had saved money by moving the location.

Mrs. Brakey asked if placement costs will go down after the new Youth Center is built and operational.

Mr. Swenson said that yes, costs should go down.  He said that they need extra staff now because there are no sightlines, but at the proposed new Youth Center “there will be cameras everywhere.” He said they will be able to potentially save positions and have more youth located there instead of sending them out of the county.  He said that it is always preferable to keep youth within the county so that they can have the same school curriculum.

Mr. Gorton said that the plan is for Next Steps to take over the current Youth Center.  He said that Next Steps has been a good tenant in their current county-owned property.  Mr. Swenson said that there could be private investments to help renovate the Youth Center for Next Steps’ use.

1:25 - 1:55 pm Board of Elections - Director Tyler Plants, Deputy Director Nora McGinnis, Board Chair Dennis M. Pavella, and Board member Joan A. Windnagel

Mr. Gorton noted a decrease in nondepartmental salaries and there was a revision to that. He said that Ms. McGinnis sent a revision to those figures.  He noted that 2027 is an “off election.”  He said that it cost $62,000 in 2025 and $140,000 for this year.  Mr. Plants said that they did have two elections last year, but the State subsidized the funding for one election because they called for the special election.  He said that currently only one election is scheduled for 2027, but if there is just one additional election it could cost $110,000.  Mr. Gorton asked them to do more research about why 2023 was low and 2025 was low.  Mr. Gorton suggested that they let the budget “ride.” Mr. Pavella said that there it is always possible to have an August election.

Mr. Gorton said there was a substantial increase in hospitalization and a payroll increase in their General Fund.  There was another increase in Board member pay, which was a mandated increase.  Ms. McGinnis said that the State issued new pay guidelines.  She said she would send the information to Mr. Gorton.

Mr. Pavella said that Geauga’s registered voter total bumped up which changes pay guidelines.

Mr. Gorton said the personnel list includes 6 full time staff but right now they only have 5.  Mr. Pavella said they need 6 staff ahead of the election.  He also confirmed, “We will be asking for Republican applicants.” 

Ms. McGinnis said they did not ask for equipment because they have no room.  

Mr. Gorton asked how it went with the primary election in their new space in the county office building.

Mr. Plants said they did not have the turnout for in-person voting that they expected, but anticipate more people voting early in the fall.  

Mr. Pavella complimented the Maintenance Department, saying that “the maintenance supervisor is doing a great job.”

Mr. Gorton asked about a vehicle.  Ms. McGinnis said they did not get a vehicle.  They borrowed one from Maintenance.

Mr. Plants said that parking at the county office building went well, but he stated that “we have to plan that all the voters are coming.”  Mr. Plants said that they will need to make parking requests for a presidential year. Observer Note:  There was a reference to county employees moving out of the parking around the county office building.

Mr. Gordon asked about the use of 470 Center Street (the former BOE office) as a polling location after the County vacates that property.  Mr. Pavella said that there are not many places in the City of Chardon with potential as another precinct voting location.  He said that none of the churches in Chardon are handicapped accessible and that the Secretary of State is “very big on accessibility.”  He said that Heritage House on the Chardon Square is maxed out with two precincts voting there already.  He said there is nothing the City of Chardon owns that they could use.  Mr. Pavella said that they could reach out to the schools, but they would have to shut down the school for the day.  Mr. Pavella said that “If you are planning on getting out of 470, we need to know.”  Mrs. Brakey said, “you should be looking. We want to get out as soon as possible.“ 

Mr. Dvorak asked whether they received comments from the public about having to go downstairs to vote.  Ms. Windnagel said that the Sheriff’s Deputy helped some people to find where to vote. 

Mr. Dvorak said that in the past there were complaints about the height of the counters.  Mr. Plants said they got positive comments about the space.

2:00 - 2:30 pm - Maintenance - Director Rob Weigle and Suzanne Sotkovsky, Fiscal and Budget Officer 

Mr. Gorton noted some highlights, including a fairly significant payroll request compared to the 2026 budget.  He said “you have 6 vacant positions and you budgeted for two summer helpers.”  He said there was a decrease in requests for equipment, noting there was a request for only one vehicle.  There was a $270,000 total increase in grounds services and a $125,000 increase in electrical services.

There was an increase in charges connected with the safety center of $30,000. 

Mr. Weigle said that they have 30 employees now but that they are still looking to add two more, a project manager and a senior trade position.  He said they hired one person yesterday.

Mr. Weigle said that for ground services they want to be more proactive with parking lots and put extra in the budget for that.  He said that the parking lot for the County building is new, so he wants to take proactive actions.  He said that winters dictate what they need to do with crack sealing.  He said there are some areas where they want to change striping.

Mr. Weigle addressed building maintenance.  He started by noting that “elevators are expensive!”  He said there are four companies that do the maintenance, with one contract coming up for renewal.  He said they are all union and the hourly rate for one of them is $300/hour.  One elevator contract is Schindler and others can bid to service them but they have to buy Schindler parts at a premium.  He said they have elevators from Otis, Moseley, Schindler, Adams and Gable.   He said that roof inspections are very important and recommended it should be done in 2027.  He said that they have a new work order system with the ability to use mobile phones for work orders.  They will probably need to purchase 27 cell phones which are in the budget.  He said that all the highway workers use their personal cell phones, and even though they could have a tablet, everybody uses their phones.  Mr. Weigle said that they need to upgrade their computer software.

Mr. Weigle said that prices for other materials and supplies have gone up. He said that the more their staff can work on HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning), the better.  Hiring staff who are able to do this has been great, but they still have to buy materials.  

Mr. Gorton asked if they are having difficulty getting HVAC parts.  Mr. Weigle said that they are working on it, but the suppliers want the County to get their credit card instead of using a purchase order. Mr. Weigle said “I think it is going to happen.”  The most difficult parts to get are from Trane.  He said that “you can’t get their parts from other places.”  

In terms of equipment, Mr. Weigle said that in the last three years they purchased a lot and are now down to replacing one really old truck.  He said they also want to set up an electrician's van.  They have the van, but not the equipment.  Mr. Weigle said that a lot of the staff are bringing their own tools and noted that “I don’t like them to have to bring their own tools.”  

Mr. Gorton asked about the use of the tiller.  Mr. Weigle said that they have an old one but it needs to be replaced and they use it for repairs in the case of winter damage.   

Mr. Weigle talked about their one travel request for $45,000.  He said there was one training on locks which is only available in Texas, and they don’t do it remotely.  

Mr. Weigle said that there will be a big increase in electric charges, pointing to the addition of the new courthouse and the rising price of electricity.  Ms. Sotkovsky said they are renewing now and there was an increase in May, 2026.  Ms. Sotkovsky said the cost of natural gas doubled in the courthouse, but “we provided the heat this winter” and it was essentially an open building. She said it was hard to estimate what it would be for the coming winter.

Mr. Weigle said that they have several generators like the one at the new courthouse.  He noted that these are diesel generators.  There is natural gas in the new courthouse building but the diesel generators were there before Mr. Weigle started.  He wasn’t sure why they didn’t decide to go with gas, but thought that perhaps they couldn’t put in a big enough gas line.  Everyone acknowledged that diesel is a big cost.

2:30  - 3:00 pm - Maintenance Projects - Rob Weigle and Suzanne Sotkovsky (Observer Note:  Mr. Dvorak left before this one was over and did not return.)

Building improvement - Mr. Weigle said that they have a 5-year plan.  He said that to understand the 2027 priorities you have to look at the 5-year plan because projects they do in 2027 will facilitate  projects for future years.

These projects were mentioned:

Generators - They want to notify tenants when generators are running.  He noted that in the county office building, the generator doesn’t run heating and cooling. He said it was important to integrate the generators and DES system.

Properties in Chardon - Mr. Weigle said they want to start with the Annex Basement wall. He said that this is very old and they need to do a demolition down there, fix the wall, and then renovate the space. 

Original courthouse - Mr. Weigle said they have to do roof and soffit repairs.  He said they have to start there before they can do anything further.

Safety Center - Mr. Weigle said they need to replace  windows and doors and he acknowledged that  “everything in the safety center is super expensive.”  All of the windows and 8 or 9 exterior doors need to be replaced.  

EMA (Emergency Management Agency) parking lot and sidewalks -  Mr. Weigle said EMA doesn’t have handicapped accessible sidewalks, and they need a parking lot.

Mr. Dvorak asked if there are any grants available for the EMA work.  Mr. Weigle said he will look into that.

Mr. Weigle said that the courthouse is an historic building, and there might be grants they could get to help with restoration. Mr. Dvorak said that there are four chimneys that are not functional and they could get rid of them if they aren’t historical.  

Mr. Weigle said they need to get the air handler replaced for 2027. 

Mr. Gorton said there could be other areas of financing certain things. 

Mr. Gorton said that getting doors and windows for the Safety Center is difficult.  He said that they are not like regular orders. Mr. Weigle said that even finding a contractor to put the doors in is a very different process.  He said that they are air activated “so there are a lot of things that have to go into that.”

Mr. Gorton suggested a $2.27 million transfer in from the General Fund for Maintenance matters.  Mr. Gorton said that sometimes he has to take some of the requests out and then build them back in.  He said the County can handle $2-2.5 million of maintenance requests a year.  He also noted that there are hefty requests for 2028, including $9 million for the courthouse renovation.  He said this is a capital project, but he wanted to let the Commissioners know about it.  Mr. Gorton said that between the courthouse renovation and what is needed for the Sheriff, the total in 2028 would be $15-$16 million for those two projects.

Ms. Bevan said there is a high level of deferred maintenance, that they are “just putting out fires now,” but these suggested expenses are about protecting the county’s investment.  She said that leaving 470 Center Street will assist with cash coming in to help offset some of the deferred maintenance they are forced to address.

Ms. Bevan said that there was the “CASA piece.”  CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) needs to move into an alternate space.  She said that there are also contingencies related to putting 470 Center Street on the market and there might be renovations needed in the Opera House so CASA could move there. Mr. Weigle said that getting the Opera House ready for CASA to move in would not be hard.

Ms. Bevan said that other sources of revenue could come from selling the 214 Park Street house and the Auburn Ridge parcel.

Mr. Spidalieri asked if CASA could go to the Chardon Library Administrative space.  Mrs. Brakey said that parking there might be impossible. 

Mr. Spidalieri asked about the entrance to the parking lot in the county office building and whether it can be widened.  He said he has received many complaints.  Mr. Weigle said he can look into it. 

Mr. Gorton said the entrance is an architectural feature designed to slow the traffic going through the parking lot.

Ms. Bevan said she felt there was a need for a crosswalk. Mr. Weigle had spoken with Mr. Hajjar about this.  He said that the straightaway would be best.  

Ms. Bevan asked about 214 Park Place.  Mr. Weigle said that he asked Mr. Tkach to take a preliminary look at the property and he came back and said that it would cost $200,000 to “make it right.”  He said that if the “pit” parking was going to be done in 2027,  he would need to know. Observer Note:  The pit is an area across from the renovated courthouse that was used for construction parking. 

There was a discussion regarding parking in the City of Chardon.  Ms. Bevan said that the City of Chardon would like to buy 214 Park Place and the “pit.”  Ms. Bevan said that the City of Chardon would like to make this area into a business district with apartments and retail. She said that Mr. Young, Chardon City Manager, doesn't see a parking issue.  Ms. Bevan said that Mr. Young has been doing “walk-abouts” to check on where and when people are parking.  

Mr. Weigle said that the property next to 214 Park is also going to sell. Ms. Bevan said that selling 214 Park would provide funds for other projects.

Mr. Spidalieri asked where they would put vehicles for renovation.  He thought the County would be better off marketing and selling it than selling it to the City of Chardon.  He said that the County has a big responsibility on the Square for maintenance and that having equipment close by would be preferable to loading and unloading trailers.  Mr. Weigle said that the gravel lot behind the Chardon library would be great for vehicle parking.

Mrs. Brakey suggested they could sell 214 Park and the Opera House and buy the Chardon Library with the maintenance garage in the back. 

Ms. Bevan said that the courthouse renovation is not “teed up until 2028.”  Ms. Bevan said that they cannot occupy the old courthouse because they have no Certificate of Occupancy for the old portion of the courthouse.

Mr. Spidalieri said they should sell the old courthouse to the City of Chardon for a dollar. It was questioned if there was a deed restriction, requiring that the courthouse be held by the County.

Mrs. Brakey asked who could be moved into the renovated courthouse. It was suggested that Juvenile and Probate Court could move there but not much else. Mr. Weigle said that a renovated courthouse could cost $25 million. Mrs. Brakey said that they need to look at renovation costs and consider whether this is what the taxpayers want.

Ms. Bevan said that the City of Chardon indicated that they have space in the Municipal Building if other entities need to move before other spaces are ready.  

3:05 - 3:20 pm - Municipal Court - Judge Terri Stupica and Clerk of Courts Vicky Daly

Judge Stupica thanked the Commissioners for the $30,000 grant to the municipal court as part of Mental Health funding.

Ms. Daly said there is nothing above and beyond what they had in the past.  Mr. Gorton said the overall request went down $5,800.  Ms. Daly said that revenues are up.  She said that the number of visiting judges required has remained pretty steady.  

Mr. Gorton said that the law library is struggling to get funds.  They are funded through income from motor vehicle moving violations and the number of violations has been going down. Costs are going up but the fines have stayed the same. 

Ms. Daly said Geauga has the highest rate of fatalities for traffic.  Judge Stupica said that law enforcement resources are going to other crimes.  Mrs. Brakey said it was too bad that the law library can’t get funded from other offenses.

There was a brief discussion about the use of AI for legal filings, during which it was agreed to contain numerous errors and incorrect citations and this is increasing.

Ms. Daly asked if there was anything that stood out to the Commissioners. Mr. Gorton noted a decrease in payroll.  He said it was a very straightforward, limited budget.

Ms. Daly said that “we just have the COL (Cost of Living) increase from the City of Chardon.” 

Mr. Gorton said that last year they asked for an increase in the county's share of the pre-trial release officer’s salary. He said, “Last time we did some calculations and the last time we applied county increases to this position and we came up with $30,000.”  He said they could spend towards that.  

Ms. Daly said it is $23,000 now.  

Mr. Spidalieri said that the increase is so minimal, he wouldn't have an issue with it. Judge Stupica said that would be appreciated.

Mr. Gorton said that if that is something Commissioners would be in favor of, they could take a look and increase the salary.

3:25 - 3:55 pm - Common Pleas/Court Technology - Judges Carolyn Paschke and Matthew Rambo, Magistrate Randy Taylor, and IT Director Velta Moisio

Judge Paschke spoke at the beginning to note that the Court of Common Pleas is permitted to journalize their budget, and is not required to come to the budget hearing.  Observer Note:  See more information about the Court of Common Pleas budgetary process in the County Commissioners’ Handbook, Section 98.  She said that they always come, but noted that they are there voluntarily for discussion and the input of the Commissioners.  She said they are getting adjusted in their new offices and courtrooms and that people are complimentary about the design.  Staff appreciate having had input into the design and are grateful to the Commissioners, Ms. Bevan and Mr. Jimison.  She said that the recent open house was great with 200-300 people attending.

Judge Paschke said that the Drug Court graduation and resource fair will be Thursday June 25.  They are anticipating 5 graduates that will bring the total graduates to 36.

Budget - Judge Paschke said they are pleased to present a budget with a 6.25% reduction.  She said the big difference is that there have been a couple of retirements and they had put in extra money for accrued sick and vacation days. She stated they had also thought they were going to have two overlapping positions but found only one overlapped.

Judge Rambo said that he appreciated the added security in the renovation and wanted to echo everything Judge Pasche said.  He said it is a joy to be in the new space. 

Mr. Gorton asked if there were any vacant positions.  Judge Rambo said that yes, they have offers out to two people. A probation officer accepted that day and they have one vacancy in IT due to a retirement at the end of March.  Judge Paschke said there is an open spot for an assistant but they are trying to fill the retirement vacancies before they fill that position. 

Judge Paschke said they also intend to have a Help Desk, which is funded, but they haven’t put it together yet.  She said at Juvenile and Probate Court about once a week they have an attorney at the Help Desk who can offer information.  Judge Rambo was hoping they could have some forms available, and an attorney who could assist with the forms.  He said it would be helpful mainly for pro se individuals (those representing themselves), such as in foreclosure cases.  He said that Magistrates are not permitted to answer their legal questions.  Judge Paschke said that with foreclosures, people need help with the forms.  

Mr. Gorton said maybe the attorney at the Help Desk would save time in the long run.

Mr. Gorton asked about court technology and said he saw nothing new, except the Court kiosk.

Mr. Gorton asked if everything worked out with monitors and TVs. Ms. Moisio said yes, they are displaying signage but they want to display the court docket.

Mr. Spidalieri asked why they need ADP approval.

Judge Rambo said, “That is the question for the Auditor….He said that anything that is an IT security concern must be approved.” Judge Paschke said that “it appears that everything has to go before ADP.”

Ms. Bevan said, “I would be happy to reach out to find out the threshold and the procedure." Judge Paschke said, “We are doing our best to be cooperative.” Ms. Moisio said, “I do feel bad that elected officials have to appear for an approval for Adobe.” 

Mr. Gorton asked a question about T-cap (Targeted Community Alternative to Prison). They had moved some contract services expenses into a more transparent account that was recently created. Magistrate Taylor agreed and explained that this is money they get from the State, for not sending people to prison, but instead offering treatment, electronic monitoring or other options.  

Mrs Brakey asked a question about Lexus Nexis (a legal database). Judge Rambo said they are coming close to a Lexus renewal and have been looking at the two options, Lexus and Westlaw.  

Mrs. Brakey said that she wants to ensure that there is no overlap of licenses.  

Mr. Gordon said that the law library is strapped for money because there are fewer fines. 

Judge Rambo said that they can figure out who uses what at the court.  He said they are also looking at updating their case management system.  He said they are two versions behind, trying to figure out different options.  They are talking to other court systems and trying to find out who is happy with what they are using. He said they use CourtView and they are on version II.  Ms. Moisio said they have new products and they are phasing out support of the old software.  JWorks is the new one. 

Ms. Moisio said that “Some of the larger systems, they have their own internal system and they don’t share that software.”

4:00 - 4:15 pm - Ohio State University - Present were Educator Alisha Faudie and Office Associate Wendy Ward.  Observer Note:  This observer was not physically present but had a recorder, and this report was generated from that recording.

Ms. Faudie said they have three educators in the office, including  Mr. Erik Draper, Assistant Professor at OSU (who is also the County Director for the Geauga Extension). 

One educator does school-based programming.

Office equipment is leased through OSU.  There are some contracted services through the County.  

Their budget this year was $309,000 for the five people.

There were no other questions.

4:20 - 4:35 pm - Juvenile/Probate Court - Judge Robert Berger - It was announced that Judge Berger had said he would not be attending, citing prior precedent. Observer Note:  The Juvenile/Probate Court is part of the Court of Common Pleas and the courts are a separate branch of government.  The only requirement in terms of their budgetary process is that “The court‟s budget request must be “reasonable and necessary.”  See County Commissioners’ Handbook Section 98 for more information.

Thursday, May 28, 2026

Present for these hearings were Commissioners Carolyn Brakey, James Dvorak and Ralph Spidalieri.  Also present were County Administrator Amy Bevan, Assistant County Administrator Mark Jimison, Budget and Finance Manager Adrian Gorton and Senior Financial Specialist Deborah Ashburn. 

Others in attendance: Prior county administrator Dave Lair came in at 12:54, as well as Geauga Maple Leaf reporter Allison Wilson and Steve Oluic, winner of the Republican primary for County Commissioner who stayed through the Auditor/ADP presentation.

12:30 - 1:00 pm - Community & Economic Development - Gina Hofstetter, Director, and Elaine Malkamaki, Program Manager

Mr. Gorton noted that the Revolving Loan has been decreasing.  There was a decrease in interest and principal revenue in the local revolving loan as well as decreases in loans made. There were additional transfers into the operating fund from the General Fund due to more expenses for the additional position. He said they were adding one position and replacing another.  He continued, “There was a 48% increase in payroll and a slight increase in the remaining accounts.”  He also noted that there was nothing in the budget for brownfield remediation and that block grants have decreased.  

Ms. Hofstetter said that there have been decreases in revolving loan funds.  She said that communities are still struggling to get those funds.  She said that there are block grant requests and thought that perhaps the market is loosening up for more conventional lending.  Mr. Gorton asked whose responsibility it was to make more lending available. Ms. Hofstetter cited several issues for potential loans, including inadequate business plans and not “hitting the mark on job creation.”  They have had to support applicants with a conventional loan.  She also said that following COVID there were a lot of payoffs.  There are seven loans outstanding at “just shy of $300,000.”  

She also noted, “There’s two of us” and it was an effort marketing this program. They work with Lakeland Community College.  Mr. Gorton asked about their website.  Ms. Hofstetter said she didn’t have the time to do anything with it.  She said that they are on the county’s website and it is pretty static.  In her opinion, “things go to Geauga Growth Partnership” and the “City of Chardon will roll out shovel-ready projects on their website.”

Mr. Dvorak said that “businesses are looking for shovel-ready with water and/or sewer.”  He thought that companies are only looking at a website for a few minutes in order to quickly find properties for development.

Mr. Gorton asked about a grant coordinator and office administrator.  Ms. Hofstetter said they were not asking for more than what was on their organization chart.  She said she wants to “beef up” the grant coordinator position.  She noted that the administrator was on their organizational chart.  Mr. Jimison favored revamping after “working sessions.”  Ms. Hofstetter said “Without the staff, we are losing opportunities.” She said that with demolition and brownfield remediation, they are probably not even covering expenses.  Ms. Hofstetter said, ”We are funded through the General Fund.” 

Mr. Spidalieri said the county “can’t be short-sighted.”  He pointed to the large project in Bainbridge that depended on the brownfield remediation money.  He said that once Menards comes on board, it will have a big impact on sales tax revenue.  He said that he thought it is “critical to have this role of government in place to assist businesses…” and “We pay 42% of our General Fund from sales tax.”  

Ms. Malkamaki also mentioned Menards which will create jobs and taxes, saying “We’ve only been in the positions for five years. We can't say we have done all of this because they are not complete yet.”

Ms. Hofstetter said that there are opportunities coming up with another round of brownfield grants but noted that “the grant oversight required for these projects is beyond comprehension.” 

Mrs. Brakey said, “So we will hear more about this grant position in the working session?”  Mr. Jimison said yes.

Mr. Spidalieri asked about the deadline for the Revolving Loan Fund, and Ms. Hofstetter said it was June 5th. Different amounts were mentioned for the Revolving Loan Fund.   

Ms. Gorton said that they also have $335,000 in their infrastructure loan fund.  

1:05 - 2:10 - Auditor/ADP -  ADP Chief Deputy Administrator Frank Antenucci; no one was in attendance from the Auditor’s Office.  

Auditor - Mr. Gorton started out by reviewing the Auditor’s budget. He said that there was a slight increase in the General Fund and a 4-4.5% increase in payroll.  There were other slight changes in refunds as well as a $20,000 decrease in equipment and a $118,000 increase in contract services. Bond and special assessments funds are the same as 2026, and there was a slight increase in the bond return.

Mr. Antenucci said that 2027 is similar to 2026 with the property revaluation pushed from 2029 to 2030.  There were decreases in hardware, a modest increase in software and a continued push to move applications to the Cloud. 

Mr. Spidalieri noted that there was some discrepancy with the equipment totals.  Mr. Gorton said there was a slight change from the equipment list ($21,900) to the budget list ($22,800).  Mr. Antenucci said they had used their best estimate for the budget, but the $900 difference was probably due to building in some leeway.

Mr. Spidalieri then talked about a discrepancy in the ADP equipment fund. He asked Mr. Gorton to put together the discrepancies and correct them.

Mrs. Brakey asked if they could complete the Auditor report before moving on to ADP.  The conversation then switched to ADP.

ADP 

Mr. Gorton reviewed the figures. There was discussion about the equipment lines in several accounts, although after some discussion, it appeared that it was resolved.

Mr. Spidalieri asked, as far as equipment, whether they need that much equipment.  He wanted to know, “Where do we reach that plateau?”

Mr. Antenucci responded that the way to reduce costs is to divest buildings and hire fewer employees.  He said they have not expanded their hardware footprint.  They have reduced servers by 40%.  He said that ”it used to be that not every county user had a computer but now every user has a machine….  Our footprint for hardware is not growing.”

Ms. Bevan asked if they have “a life cycle management plan?”  Mr. Antenucci said that they did.

Mr. Spidalieri noted that “if you look at the raw budget where ADP was 4-6 years ago, and now” there is a big difference. 

Mr. Antenucci said that for 2025, 26, and 27, increases have stabilized but that salary depends on increases given by Commissioners.

Ms. Bevan said that the “overall sentiment is to get rid of infrastructure like 470 (Center St).”

Mr. Antenucci said, “They are all present now.”  He said they have “added infrastructure,” citing the new county office building and the renovated courthouse which he said together constituted  a “dramatic expansion.”

Ms. Bevan said, “the job of a tech plan is to phase out so there isn’t a big financial burden....”  She asked Mr. Antenucci to provide the technology plan and Mr. Antenucci said that he would.

Mr. Antenucci said that in terms of a forecast, unless there is a big change in hardware or service, based on the market, that there is no forecast for a big replacement.  He said that the same applies to contract services.  He cited the longer term contracts that they are now using.  

Mr. Spidalieri and Mr. Gorton spoke to the overall salary increases for the Auditor and ADP.  It was stated that there was an increase of 4.2%, but it was also stated that there was an increase of 7%.  It appeared from continuing discussion that the 7% was for two years.   

Mrs. Brakey asked about union negotiations.  Mr. Antenucci said that the union has until June 2 to be certified, then there would be a cooling off period until June 10. They would then vote on July 9.  They will know by July 23.  If the union moves forward, there will be a 50-day negotiation period.  The union would be AFL-CIO AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees).

Mr. Spidalieri asked about contract services, wanting to know how much the expense costs are for things going to the townships.  Mr. Antenucci said that townships buy and allocate their own hardware or ADP buys for them and is reimbursed.   Mr. Antenucci said that townships can access the domains that are available for the rest of the county.  He said there are 150 county users but adding an extra 320 township users would not require more servers.  

Mr. Spidalieri asked about whether any salary for ADP is utilized by outside townships, pointing out that one full-time person and part of another salary are used for townships. Mr. Spidalieri said that he wanted to know if townships are covering these rates.  Mr. Antenucci said yes.  He said that there is a schedule, which just got updated.  He said that technician costs are billed at $50/hour, higher level employees are billed at $75/hour and the highest level is $100/hour.  

Mr. Spidalieri said that in 2025 he never saw any of those dollars come back to the county General Fund.    He said that on 12/26/25, there was a transfer out of $53,267 to cover ADP salaries at the end of the year.  He asked, “Are we not charging enough for those services?” He also said that money received from townships should come back into the General Fund and he asked,  “Should we budget a different way for these extra services?”

Mr. Antenucci said he wasn’t sure how that could be done since according to Ohio Revised Code (ORC), “we can only bill for services received.”  He said that their goal is to ”lose as little as possible while at the same time serving the townships.”   

Mr. Antenucci said that when he started in 2021 they assisted 3 townships and 3 boards but now they assist 12 townships, 3 municipalities and 5 other boards.  He said that the biggest change is the “general push of these other entities to beef up cybersecurity.”  He predicted that there will be more requests in the future.  

Mr. Spidalieri asked, “Will you have a surplus in salary at year-end?”  Mr. Antenucci said that is the one area that is uncertain.  He said ”until the union comes through I have no idea.”  

Mr. Antenucci said that if the union is approved, there will be salary changes before there are changes to the rates charged to townships.    

There continued to be discussion about the salary portion of the ADP budget.  

Mr. Antenucci said that the budget as it is now properly provides the best budget for the county.  He said that their goal with this budget is to properly serve all the county agencies and the other agencies.

Mr. Gorton asked Mr. Antenucci to take something back to Mr. Walder and Chief Operations Officer Pam McMahan in regard to their Budget Commission meeting.  He discussed the procedure that they have used in the past to not fund equipment requests, but to have them paid out after January.  In 2026, they funded those requests.  Mr. Gorton said that if the Budget Commission questioned whether they had sufficient revenue to fund those, then they would have to go back and cut the equipment requests from ADP, but also the Sheriff and Maintenance.  Observer Note:  It was not clear to this observer exactly why Mr. Gorton was concerned about this.  

Mr. Antenucci responded that, “I am not on the Budget Commission.”  He did say that in his opinion the way it was done this year was preferable.  

Mrs. Brakey interjected, ”We have not discussed that at all as Commissioners.  We have not discussed that at all…I don’t know why we would change it.”

Mr. Gorton brought up another point about a cash balance in their contract services fund.  He said “By law, they are supposed to be transferred back to the General Fund.”  He said there is $113,000 in that fund right now and he was not sure if Ms. McMahan was aware of that.

Ms. Bevan asked a question about the procedure for ADP Board meetings.  She wanted to know what thresholds are set up for things that are required to go to the ADP Board.  She also wanted to know what the process was administratively on what has to go through the ADP Board.  She commented that if the item was over $50,000 and complex, she thought it went to the ADP Board but perhaps under $50,000, and not complex, it could be done without formal ADP board approval.

Mr. Antenucci cited ORC 307.847- ADP Board.  The full citation is as follows: “After a resolution is adopted under this section, no county office shall purchase, lease, operate, or contract for the use of any automatic data processing equipment, software, or services; microfilming equipment or services; records center or archives facilities; or any other image processing or electronic data processing or record-keeping equipment, software, or services without prior approval of the board.”  Mr. Antenucci said that ORC does not give guidelines.  He said that ADP has a policy, which is that under $50,000, Mr. Antenucci has the ability to approve. He said that if there is a novel item under $50,000, and he approves it, then technically he is responsible.

Mr. Antenucci also said that the Court of Common Pleas is in a category of their own, since they were appointed to the ADP Board but have cited separation of powers as their reason for not participating.  

Mrs. Brakey asked what ADP uses their ChatGPT license for.  Mr. Antenucci said that they use it for coding.  He said they use the enterprise government licensing version because they want the data to reside with the county.   

2:15 - 2:45 pm - Department on Aging - Director Jessica Boalt and Fiscal Officer Duane Bidlack

Ms. Boalt reviewed the following:

Revenue

Federal Grants - Ms.Boalt said that they were supposed to get $600,000 in federal grants for 2026 but they are ahead of that and based on trends, they expect to receive $650,000 for 2027.

They are trending ahead in utilization of medically authorized transportation and she will ask for more funding but is not sure she will receive it.  

Donations - Ms. Boalt said these will increase in several areas:

• Chore and home safety 

• Home delivered meals - There has been an increase in 2026 for memorial donations and they anticipate increases in donations to continue. Ms. Boalt said they are going to bid this year and they usually see a 4% increase in that contract.  She said that the contract is for 2 years. 

• Congregate meals - There is an upward trend in donations for meals but consumption has also increased.

Other revenue

• ADS (Adult Day Services) - This is federally funded for Adult daycare.  They are required to do a cost share according to the individual’s income, so based on enrollment they are anticipating receiving a higher cost share.

• Revenue for home delivered meals fundraiser.  They do a “season of giving” fundraiser with postings on social media and that has done “very, very well.”  They are projecting receiving $15,000.

• Other revenue socialization - This item is for participants in the Senior Center programs.  They anticipate receiving $25,000 mostly for “pay-to-play” for classes and trips.  They are looking to do more programming so they anticipate collecting more fees.

• Other revenue legal - They are projecting a $10,625 increase due to additional appointments with their legal contract. There is a copay based on federal guidelines with contribution amounts based on income.  She said they have been very busy with legal and tax preparation.

Mr. Dvorak asked, “Who do you use for legal?”  Ms. Boalt said, “We went out to bid and we are under contract with Schraft Thomas Law.”  She said that they are a certified elder care firm.

Tax Preparation services  - Ms. Boalt said they use volunteers and they are all trained by the IRS.

Expenses

Payroll - Ms. Boalt said there is nothing significant in salaries other than 3% salary increase and some small changes in personnel.  She said that right now there are no vacant positions.

Contract services transportation - They are looking to increase the cost for adult day service transportation for adult day services.  They get federal funds for this. Mr. Dvorak asked how many vehicles they use for transportation.  Ms. Boalt said that their vehicles are mixed use.  They have 19 vehicles for social workers and transportation.  Mr. Dvorak asked, “Does Geauga transport help out?”  Ms. Boalt said that they do refer clients to Geauga Transportation.  She cited issues with Geauga Transit where clients want to book a month out, but Geauga Transit does not offer that service and 80% of requested rides are outside the county.  

Home Delivered meals - There has been a decrease this year with a shift towards more congregate meals and fewer home delivered meals.

Increase in congregate meals - She said that part of the increase is due to having better luck in working with Passport for low income residents who qualify for Medicaid.  She said that Passport can include meals and other services. Observer Note: Passport is a special ID card or voucher used by older adults to access free or low-cost daily meals at local senior centers and community spaces.

Contract Services for daily living -  These are services, like bathing and dressing, provided in the home.  They are anticipating a decrease in requests as there has been an increase with individuals qualifying for and using Passport.  She said that there are now three different agencies coming into the county for the Passport program.  Passport can provide up to 30 hours a week, while the Office on Aging can only offer 2/hours a day for 2 days/week.

Equipment - $45,000 increase in Equipment - Ms. Boalt said they reserve money for equipment, but anticipate having to replace a coffee machine, one vehicle (110,000 miles), and funds that might be needed in case a piece of kitchen equipment needs to be replaced. Mr. Bidlack said that they will need to replace another vehicle in 2028.  Mr. Bidlack said that part of the annual equipment amount is to replace computers on a staggered schedule as they have 40 computers and want to avoid having to replace a large number in one year.

Socialization - Senior Center - There is an increase in this area as they are providing more programs and services.

Senior Center Construction Budget - Ms. Boalt said that this section of the budget is unique because part belongs to the Commissioners’ Office and part to Aging. Mr. Gorton said that once the purchase is completed, the county’s part of this budget will decrease.  Ms. Boalt said that they had $600,000 toward the purchase and then they will have $1,450,000 left over in 2027 that would be used for renovations (of the newly acquired Library Administration Building).  She said the larger picture is that they also need funds to replace the West Geauga Senior Center generator.  They could receive money from the federal budget as they are hoping to receive $300,000 through Congressman Dave Joyce’s office.  At the moment, she said they have $1,450,000 in this fund and that is for all senior centers. She concluded, “Hopefully we get a grant, so we can preserve money to do some renovations at the West Geauga Senior Center.”  

2:50 - 3:35 - Sheriff - Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand and Chief Deputy Thomas Rowan

Mr. Gorton started the review by saying that there are a lot of accounts and highlighting the following changes:

He said there has been an increase in fees, contract services, and equipment requests. 

Sheriff Hildenbrand reviewed the equipment.  He said that the CVSA (Computer Voice Stress Analyzer) machines are the computers used for lie detector tests which have to be replaced every so many years.  He said that the ballistic stab vests are used in the jail and they have some equipment needs for the evidence room.

The Sheriff said that they were able to acquire a lot of vehicles this year so they are only asking for 4 next year.  He said the cost includes the car cameras and wireless internet. He commented that now deputies can download videos from the car.  There was a discussion about what they do with vehicles that they can no longer use.

They need some computers and monitors for dispatch. They will do half of the computers and half of monitors for 2027.  Mr. Gorton confirmed that the Sheriff has all 911 “operators” right now.  The Sheriff said that there is a small backup at EMA (Emergency Management Agency), but the buildings are close so “if a tornado comes we both go out.”  He said that he hopes that in 2028 they can switch over to the new system.  It is being piloted now, and he hopes they “get the bugs worked out.”  The Sheriff said that with the new system they will be able to do away with servers because everything will come through one pipeline for the whole state of Ohio. They currently use Windstream but no one else does, and as a result when there are power outages, they have no back up.

The Sheriff commented that they need to purchase radios, which are “standard 800 radios” and that they also replace one of the tower lights each year.  He said these are the lights that blink at the top of towers so airplanes don’t run into them.  They have 10 of them and they replace one a year. They have almost completely converted to LEDs.

The Sheriff referred to “800 stuff” which he said was mostly listed for 2028 with one “T-1 Line” next year.  He said that they rely on 800 experts to tell them what they need.  Mr. Gorton said that “we should set aside for this as it will be a large expense, but don’t want to have a lot of money left.” The Sheriff said that the number is pretty accurate for 2028, aside from possible price increases.  Mr. Gorton said they “could probably prepare for that.” The Sheriff said that the last time they did this was in 2011. 

Contract services - This is for body cameras and car cameras.  Sheriff Hildenbrand said that buying a camera is not a big deal, but that storage is an issue.  He said that inmate medical costs are a huge unknown.  The State has an unfunded mandate that opiate addiction requires certain things like a nurse visit.  Deputy Chief Rowan said there used to be a grant, but not now.  There is a $400 charge for each time the nurse comes in.  Their costs for dentistry will also go up since they can’t find a dentist to come into the jail.  They will have to transport when an inmate needs dental. He said that it will cost more money, but the amount is unknown at this time.  The Sheriff said they are able to pay the Medicaid rate.  Chief Deputy Rowan said they try to get inmates signed up for Medicaid and certain conditions can be covered.

Mr Dvorak asked about the fuel budget. The Sheriff said they don’t break it out and was not able to answer the question. 

Mr. Gorton asked about concealed carry permits and whether the number is going down. The Sheriff said that they use some of that income to buy range supplies and ammunition.  He said that “People are still renewing their concealed carry (permits).”

Mr. Gorton asked if they are currently hiring or are just replacing people who are leaving or have left.

The Sheriff said that they funded new positions this year, but they still have people retiring.  He said that basically they’re in good shape, but are down two dispatchers and two correctional officers.  He said that pay amounts in the budget reflect the new contract increases which are for 3 years.

Mr. Gorton asked if there have been changes in the canine unit.  The Sheriff said that they just got more donations.  They have 5 dogs with one in training now. He said that donations usually pay for training and vet bills.

Mr. Jimison asked about the control panel at the Justice Center.  Deputy Chief Rowan said that is a maintenance issue now and they are doing a different process.  He had no idea what it would cost, especially if they had to rewire the whole facility.  The Sheriff added that “We need this now, things are not working now.”

Mrs. Brakey asked about their technology schedule.  Deputy Chief Rowan said that with the computers, they phase them out and that they are hoping their cameras will be good for awhile. Their grant person is looking at things all the time, but they don’t always get the grants for which they apply.  He was complimentary about the “redo for the office space” in the safety center.  He said that the next thing is replacing the windows and then, “Let’s get the roof done.”  He also said that the parking lot should be done in mid-June.

Ms. Bevan asked about the mass spectrometer.  Chief Deputy Rowan said the paperwork was sent off and the price went up because it has been 9 months.  The purchase order is done so they should be good to go soon.  Mr. Gorton said “we have the money for that.”  He said it was a Commissioners’ Fund.

Mr. Dvorak asked about the Amish Dare program.  The Sheriff said this is unique and that they have a good working relationship with the Amish.  He said that Amish Safety Day is coming up next month.   

The Sheriff talked about the “pay to stay” in the jail.  He said, “if you’re a millionaire you have to pay to stay in jail” but he also said, “We don’t collect that much.” 

Mr. Dvorak asked how many ICE prisoners they have.  The Sheriff said they have 11 ICE prisoners, down from under the previous administration when they had a high of 50-60 a day.  He felt the reason for the decrease in Geauga is that there are more places that have signed agreements with Homeland Security.

The Sheriff said, “There is another incentive under 287G. You can get money just for having them, even money for a vehicle.”  Observer Note:  See more information about these agreements here.  He said they are exploring that and will probably increase that revenue.  He said he understood that even if you only make one arrest you could receive funds.  He also said that sometimes their deputies will call when they have someone who is undocumented but they don’t always get a response.

Chief Deputy Rowan responded to a question about Ashtabula prisoners, saying they have 13 now.  The Sheriff said that at one point Ashtabula had 72 people waiting to serve their sentences, with some waiting a year and half.  He said that they take those who are already sentenced and Ashtabula then can take those with shorter sentences. The Sheriff thought that construction of the new jail in Ashtabula would take another year and a half.   

3:40 - 3:55 pm - Treasurer - Treasurer Christopher Hitchcock and Deputy Treasurer Caroline Mansfield. Observer Note: The Treasurer’s hearing actually occurred after the County because neither the Treasurer or Deputy Treasurer were present at 3:40 pm. As noted below, Mr. Dvorak had left.

This hearing started at 3:52 pm

Mr. Gorton highlighted that there was an increase in bank fees.  Mr. Hitchcock said they are anticipating a new banking relationship.  They have been with Huntington over the past 27 years.  He said that in the past he had been advised that he had to use an RFP (Request for Proposals), but has recently found out that this is not the case, that the decision as to who to choose for banking is ”solely with the Treasurer.” He said, “with that authority, we are changing our relationship to Chase.”  He said they expect to start with Chase next month. He said that “This is an important change.”   Huntington has been good over the past 27 years, but in his opinion they have not been keeping up with strong cyber strategy.  Mr. Hitchcock related that a friend who is an FBI agent said that “Chase is the best in the country with cyber.”  

Mr. Gorton noted that there had been some problems with Huntington.  Mr. Hitchcock said that Huntington had processed a check on Veteran’s Day for $55,000.  He said this was an unusual situation in that the bank was open but the county was closed.  However, since the county was not open, they didn’t stop the check.  He noted that the check had several failures but Huntington processed it anyway.  He reported that Huntington finally made good on the check. 

Ms. Mansfield said that they put into the budget to run both systems for half a year, but after that the costs will go down.  Ms. Mansfield said, “Chase is significantly less.”  She estimated the reduction would be at least $10,000. 

Mr. Hitchcock said that interest rates might go up. Mr. Gorton asked what he would project or certify. Mr. Hitchcock said, “I’m a conservative guy.”  He also said, “What I haven’t received, I can’t certify.”

Mr. Gorton said that this contributes to the excess funds the county has had at the end of the year.  

Mr. Gorton said that they were $10 million off in their budget estimate as to cash carryover.  He said that part of the carryover was that they had $4-5 million more revenue that had not been budgeted with $2 million of that being interest.

Mr. Gorton also noted an increase in advertising and repairs.  Ms. Mansfield said that was just normal cost increases.  Mr. Hitchcock said they are making an effort to do more electronically. They have 800 people now getting an electronic bill.  They simplified the process so individuals can do it all online.  Mr.  Hitchcock said they want to make it as easy as possible.  He said that another option was having payments directly from property owners’ checking accounts.  He wondered if they could cover the cost of the money transfer from their bank ($1.50).  There was no agreement on that suggestion.

Salaries - Mr. Hitchcock said he has begun a salary review process for “our office of six.”  He said,  “I will be asking for a supplemental for next year to bring my team up to par.”  He said he has made adjustments for leadership but has not been able to raise rates for the rest of the office, noting “They are decidedly underpaid.  It’s only been completed in the last month.”

Mr. Gorton commented that they already have a significant increase in salary, which was expected when Ms. Mansfield’s compensation was increased. 

Ms. Bevan questioned, “As we lead up to the Budget Commission, what would make us more successful?”

Mr. Hitchcock said, “The amount of cash this county has is tremendous.  We do not have a lot of the issues that a lot of larger, more diversified counties have.  We are blessed.”  He continued, “Geauga has done a wonderful job in getting the issue of property taxes addressed. LWV (League of Women Voters Geauga) has done a wonderful job in getting the word out.”  He said he believed that “money should be given back to the taxpayers.”  He asked how much is left to do on the courthouse.  Mr. Gorton said they are about to finish up.  There are small bills, with “almost half of what is left is in retainage.”    

Ms. Bevan again asked, “Do you have any suggestions on our approach?  Methodology?” 

Mr. Gorton said, “I can’t change the numbers” and “ You said two years ago in our budget meeting that you want to conservatively promise and overproduce."  Mr. Gorton looked at the common themes among all counties and he found that their expenses are lower and revenue is significantly higher than budgeted.   

Mr. Gorton said, ”Absent a change in approach to the whole idea of this budget, it is very difficult to meet what we feel is your expectation when we come there.”

Mr. Hitchcock said, “we try to address each taxing entity with the same inspection.”  He went on to say that “It’s not a horrible problem;  it’s an amazing problem because it speaks to the fiscal integrity of our county.”  Mr. Gorton said, “I would prefer us to work together.” He said he felt that “the three of you (from the Budget Commission) work to make us look bad.”  Ms. Bevan said, “we need tactical strategies… to get closer to what the Budget Commission is looking for.”  

Mr. Hitchcock said he thought there would be a lot of support from the county to give money back. 

Ms. Bevan said they could  provide different options and continued that “if there’s some adjustment we can make, we’re open to that.”

Reviewer Note: In response to this discussion, the Budget Commission sent a letter to the County Commissioners requesting a concurrent BOCC-Budget Commission meeting during the County’s Budget Hearing. See the June 15, 2026 Budget Commission LWVG Observer Report for more information.

There was a discussion about building maintenance. Mr. Hitchcock talked about the leak in the Treasurer’s offices and the fact that they need several pails when it rains.  He said, “We should get rid of that building.”

Mr. Spidalieri said, “Who said ‘I would handcuff myself to the desk’ rather than leave the Square?”

Mr. Hitchcock said, “I don’t want to go off the Square.” 

Mr. Spidalieri said, “It’s not your call where you are located. I don't want to hear the complaining.”  

Ms. Bevan said, “We are taking active measures to get out of 470 (Center Street).”  She said that “there are intricacies that tie these together.”  She said that there had been no facility planning and they have had to build a plan, starting with 470.  She continued, “we are well aware of the challenges we have on the Square.”  Ms. Bevan again said they have to get out of 470 in order to have money to put into other places.

Mr. Spidalieri said, “Maybe 470 doesn’t have a leak, maybe move them to 470 where the roof doesn’t leak.”

4:00 - 4:30 pm - Commissioners - Amy Bevan  and Fiscal Officer Adrian Gorton (Mr. Dvorak was not present as he had left) Observer Note:  This hearing actually started at 3:41.

Mr. Gorton said that they increased the sales tax by $500,000 to $22.25 million.  He said that in 2025 they received almost $23 million in sales tax revenue.  He wanted to get the opinion of the Commissioners on this, and whether he should further increase projections to $22.75 million due to new retail stores opening in the county.  Mr. Spidalieri said he was comfortable with what Mr. Gorton recommended.

They increased the cost allocation for the county office building by $300,000 to $1.2 million with costs going up.

They increased the sales tax expense because the State now requires posting these after county and state fees were taken out, but the state auditor is now requiring posting the sales tax expense prior to paying county and state fees on a separate line.

He commented that the salary amounts under elected officials are the statutory amounts.  In general, wages increased 3%, which was the amount that was approved by the Commissioners.  There was a decrease in hospitalization costs because 2 people have the waiver.

In terms of other expenses, he noted that cellular costs went up.

He said that reimbursement transfers went down, but departments “are making money on interest” so they will have to increase that.

There was discussion about the youth detention expense and the fact they are paying less.  

Mr. Gorton increased insurance by $50,000 to pay for increased CORSA (County Risk Sharing Authority). 

He increased COBRA to $60,000 because he said that “a lot of people have opted for this and they can be on for 18 months.”

He said he wouldn’t talk about the Building Improvement Fund because that was covered in the Maintenance hearing.

Mr. Gorton said that for the Geauga Airport he just budgeted the $25,000 that was the normal requirement.

There were no further questions or discussions as they switched to the Treasurer hearing.

Observer:  Gail Roussey and Rooney Moy

Editors: Carol Benton

Reviewers: Sarah McGlone

Submitted:  June 28, 2026

 

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