Post-meeting release 8/4/22

Commissioners receive financial report, welcome new medical director Thursday morning

[Tiffin, OH – Aug. 4, 2022] – The Seneca County Board of Commissioners received a financial update from County Administrator Stacy Wilson Thursday morning.
Wilson said in the month of July, the county had about $1.3 million in revenue and about $1.5 million in expenses in the General Fund. For the year through July 31st, revenue was reported at about $12 million, with expenses at about $12.8 million.
Commissioner Mike Kerschner asked Wilson to report the expense figure for the year while considering only core expenditures. This means about $2 million would need to be removed from the expense figure as this funding was moved for non-recurring expenses such as capital projects or deposits into the Budget Stabilization Fund, or “rainy-day fund.”
The county currently has $1.25 million in its rainy-day fund, making it the largest Budget Stabilization Fund in county history. Kerschner said this fund is vital in protecting against future economic problems.
“We can do the opposite of what other government entities do,” Kerschner said last year about the fund. “Instead of spending our grandchildren’s money, we can put it in a savings account.”
In other business, Kerschner announced and welcomed Dr. Nick Sauber as the new medical director for Seneca County EMS.
Sauber is a 2014 graduate of The University of Toledo College of Medicine and a 2018 graduate of The Johns Hopkins Emergency Medicine Residency where he completed a 1-year Focused Advanced Specialty Training program in EMS, flight, and tactical medicine. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force where he served on active duty and completed multiple deployments.
Dr. Sauber currently serves as Regional EMS Medical Director for Mercy Health and TEAMhealth Northeast Group, as well as Director of Mercy Health Emergency Medical Services Division. He serves as and an attending physician at Mercy St. Vincent’s and Mercy St. Anne’s in Toledo and is core faculty for the St. Vincent Emergency Medicine Residency.
Sauber replaces Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick, who has officially retired from his active work as an emergency department physician.
Seneca County Emergency Services Director Ken Majors thanked Fitzpatrick for his work as medical director since 1996.
“His leadership and guidance have helped Seneca County EMS remain one of the best and most progressive EMS systems in the state of Ohio,” he said. “We have seen many changes in technology, medicine, and pre-hospital care in the past 25 years. He was an uncompensated volunteer medical director for many years and only recently began accepting a small stipend for his time as our physician medical director. Without his patient and compassionate leadership, we would not have been able to see the growth and improvement in the quality of medical care that we provide to our patients.”
Sauber, who is initially from Tiffin and has family in the area, comes to the county through the Northwest Ohio EMS Consortium.
Majors said he looks forward to working under Sauber’s medical direction.
“He is going to run with our local crews, train with our local crews, and be a part of our organization, helping us push forward into the next phase of Seneca County EMS pre-hospital care,” Majors said.
During new business, the commissioners approved:
* A $16,221.83 reduction in the Community Development Block Grant Transfers Out Line.
* An $808.91 supplemental appropriation to the General Fund for leases.
* A $2,000 supplemental appropriation to the Housing Revolving Loan Fund for other administrative expenses.
* A $2,000 appropriation adjustment for an equipment lease on behalf of the Treasurer’s Office.
* A contract between the Seneca County Airport and the commissioners for the airport lease and easement agreements.
* An amendment to the agreement with Buckeye IT Services, effective Aug. 1, 2022.
* The mutual aid agreement between Fostoria, Tiffin and Seneca County to establish the Black Swamp Emergency Services Unit on behalf of the sheriff’s office.
* Amending the designation of the Seneca County Emergency Planning Committee.