Wood County officials take their business on tour

Wood County Commissioners James Carter and Tim Brown held a town hall meeting in Walbridge last week, taking the opportunity to speak to citizens and answer their questions.

Mr. Carter and Mr. Brown spoke for 30 minutes in Walbridge Elementary School, after which Walbridge Village Council held a regular meeting.

The purpose of the town hall get-together, Mr. Carter explained, was "to take government to the people."

The commissioners distributed county maps and a directory of county personnel.

Many times citizens didn't know where to start when they needed something from county government, Mr. Brown said.

In response to a questioner who wanted to know why his nonprofit group had to pay real estate taxes and buy a permit for electrical work, the commissioners explained that real estate taxes were a function of the state, but that the nonprofit could apply to the county auditor for a tax abatement.

Mr. Brown explained that the Ohio Revised Code prohibits discounts or fee waivers that favor certain organizations.

Mr. Brown said the commissioners had no intention of raising Wood County's 6.5 percent sales tax to offset shrinking revenues.

Only five counties in Ohio have a sales tax lower than Wood County's, he said.

Sales tax revenue had declined about $1 million in the last year he explained, and the county was coping by laying off employees and having some full-timers work part time.

He said nobody has told the commissioners to raise taxes to keep the size of government from shrinking.

Mr. Brown said that short-term problems notwithstanding, the county's long-term economic picture was bright, thanks to such projects as the huge CSX intermodal freight facility going up in Henry Township west of North Baltimore.

Mr. Carter said because Wood County had its own port authority to handle economic development, "we now have control of our destiny."

At its meeting, Walbridge council decided to advertise for a full-time police chief.

The chief would work 40 hours a week, and would be evenly divided between road patrol and administrative duties, council president Maureen Jacobsen said.

A salary range has not been determined.

Village officials have debated for years whether the community needed a full-time chief.

The part-time chief is Walt Tylicki, who also works for Norfolk Southern as a police officer K9 specialist.

Council also hired Christopher Rutledge as a part-time police officer.