Post-meeting release 1/8

Commissioners choose new president, meet county treasurer candidates

[Tiffin, OH Jan. 8, 2019] – The Seneca County Board of Commissioners chose a new president for 2019 Tuesday morning.
Seneca County Commissioner Shayne Thomas was named the president of the board.
The board plans to finalize committee assignments at next week’s meeting, which has been moved back to 11 a.m. Tuesday. The meeting time is changed, so the commissioners have time to return from the Inauguration Gala in Columbus.
During public comment, Chris English, Paul Harrison and Stephen Welter; who are potential candidates for the vacated Seneca County Treasurer position, introduced themselves to the commissioners.
Damon Alt, the current treasurer, is leaving the position to become magistrate for Seneca County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Kelbley on Feb. 1.
The commissioners must make an appointment to the position by then. The appointed person will serve in the role for a short amount of time, however, as the Seneca County Republican Party can then nominate a candidate to finish Alt’s term. The final appointee’s term would expire Sept. 5, 2021.
GOP officials are expected to discuss the appointment during a meeting scheduled for Feb. 7.
In other action, the board renewed a one-year contract with the county sewer district. The agreement is for Seneca Regional Planning Commission to handle sewer billing for 10 percent of revenue earned.
In other business, the commissioners briefly discussed the potential purchase of new voting machines on behalf of the Seneca County Board of Elections, but no decision was made. The board expects to decide on the purchase at next week’s meeting.
The board approved all appropriations from yesterday’s agenda and approved these 2019 budget adjustments:
* A $16,683.95 supplemental appropriation to the Dog and Kennel Fund.
* A $34,722.61 supplemental appropriation to the Seneca County Veterans Services Fund.
* A $125,000 supplemental appropriation to the Common Pleas Court Fund for the Justice Assistance Grant the office received.
* A $1,000 supplemental appropriation to the Juvenile and Probate Court Fund.
* A $573.91 supplemental appropriation to the Common Pleas Court Fund.
* A $5,370.07 supplemental appropriation to the Clerk of Courts Fund.
* $5,968.58 supplemental appropriation to the Youth Center Fund.
* A $15,000 supplemental appropriation to the Sheriff’s Office Commissary Fund.
* A $500,000 supplemental appropriation to transfers out. This appropriation is for money that could be invested in the Budget Stabilization Fund for 2019. The commissioners may add $125,000 per quarter to the “rainy day” fund.
* About $101,000 in supplemental appropriations to the General Fund, including $50,000 for Tiffin-Seneca Economic Partnership, $30,000 for Fostoria Economic Development Corp., $10,000 for Tiffin-Seneca County Fair, $5,000 for Attica Fair and increases to the clerk of courts and common pleas lines.