GREENVILLE — During Monday’s Darke County Board of Commissioner’s Meeting, Commissioners approved resolution R-66-2017 urging State Legislators to Protect Medicaid Managed Care (MCO) Organization Sales Tax Revenue for counties.
According to Commission Chairman Mike Rhoades, Darke County learned during the summer of 2016, that the amount of sales tax revenue attributed to the MCO sales tax is estimated to be a loss of more than $523,611 in Medicaid Health Insuring Corporations sales tax, based on 2015 distributions, to its General Fund of $23,372,731.
According to Rhoades, Darke and others of the 88 Ohio counties are joining together to work with the County Commissioner’s Association of Ohio (CCAO state lobbyists). The CCAO works to provide commissioners, county executives and council members with the tools and information needed to provide citizens with efficient and effective county government. The CCAO is asking the commissions to send resolutions to the Ohio Senate and the state House of Representatives, stating what counties will lose in the loss of tax revenue. This gives the CCAO the clout to say the Governor’s plan is not working. Some other Ohio counties potential losses based on a 2015 distribution include Miami, at $851,077 and Wayne, at $805,642.
“We are against Gov. John Kasich’s plan,” Rhoades said. “They are taking money away from us in that plan. Don’t change what we have – it works. Don’t mess it up.”
Commission Vice Chairman Mike Stegall said it is a convoluted piece of legislation right now.
“None of the counties are really happy with it because it puts all the burden back on the counties,” he said. “It doesn’t do much for the state and it puts everything back on us. We don’t think that is fair. We want to be equal partners with the state, but they have to meet us half way.”
The approved resolution reads the following:
“Whereas, Darke County has experienced a growing a reliance on sales tax revenue, as a result,
Whereas Darke county learned during the summer of 2016 that the amount of sales tax revenue attributed to the Medicaid managed care sales tax is estimated to be over $523,611 in Darke County.
Whereas the (State Fiscal Year) SFY 2018-2019 Executive State Budget proposes disparate treatment for the state and counties by recommending to fully replace forgone state sales tax and Medicaid matching dollars for the next biennium while providing counties/transit authorities with a one-time allocation that ranges from approx. three months to a year or more for the forgone revenue, whereas the solution put forth in the executive budget treats the state and counties disparately and that what is needed is an equitable solution.”
In other news, the commission approved a notice of award and commencement to remodel the restrooms inside the Wayne Lakes beach house. The project went to low-bidder Michael’s Plumbing, Heating and Air, Inc., in Greenville, for $30,025. The project is to be completed by March 31.
