Sales tax spurs change effort

Petitions circulating this month

Lorain County citizens again will attempt to convince their fellows to change the form of county government.

Starting this week, local businesses will have petitions for registered voters to sign for the change of government.

If the supporters collect 7,782 signatures, the issue would go for a countywide vote in November, said David J. Moore of Amherst.

The county actions of last November and December spurred the latest round of efforts to generate public interest in changing Lorain County government.

Voters in November 2016 trounced a proposed continuing 0.25 percent sales tax increase. It was to provide money for the county general fund and for transit.

In December, Lorain County Commissioners Ted Kalo and Lori Kokoski voted to increase the sales tax rate by 0.25 percent, bring the county’s sales tax to 6.75 percent. Commissioner Matt Lundy voted against the increase, but

“we got a lot of people that have never engaged in politics before, that are now engaged.”

— David J. Moore of Amherst

noted the county needs the money.

“The free marketing we are getting from the commissioners ignoring the will of the people has really accelerated our movement,” Moore said.

The commissioners “have woken up a lot of people,” he said.

People who voted for the sales tax now are signing the change of government petitions because they feel it was wrong for the commissioners to impose the tax hike, Moore said.

“We got a lot of people that have never engaged in politics before, that are now engaged,” he said. “They are paying attention, thanks to the county commissioners’ arrogance.”

In the new form of government, Lorain County would be divided into seven districts. Voters would elect seven commissioners, one from each district, along with the county prosecutor, auditor and sheriff.

The commissioners would appoint a county administrator, medical examiner, clerk of courts, law director, public works director and treasurer, according to the proposed charter.

The change of government supporters have a goal to get the needed signatures by the end of April. That allows the supporters time to evaluate the signatures and collect more if needed, then plan their public education

campaign, Moore said.

“I know if we get it on the ballot, it will pass,” he said. “I think it will because people don’t trust the three commissioners right now.”

If approved by election, candidates in 2018 would run for the seven county commission seats. The government would change in January 2019.

The bottom line for the proposal is representation and accountability, Moore said.

The change-of-government supporters can debate accountability and representation, but that doesn’t mean anything if the issue doesn’t get on the ballot, he said.

The supporters started collecting signatures in mid-January, including a direct mail campaign, but did not get much public attention, Moore said. Now, they plan to go door-to-door starting April 22.

The change of government supporters have a goal to get the needed signatures by the end of April.