Stark Leaders Crafting 2025 Budget with Flat, Lower Sales Tax Revenue

CANTON, Ohio (News Talk 1480 WHBC) – As Stark County puts its 2025 General Fund budget together, they depend on the same sales tax that SARTA does, though the tax percentage is much higher.

Commissioner Richard Regula says they’ve always played it conservatively with operating monies, knowing that there would be a dip in sales tax revenue at some point.

So Budget Director Chris Nichols is busy chiseling away at over $100 million in budget requests, paring those down by about ten percent.

Regula says the county is not creating new employment positions at this point.

He says they’ve been seeing a business slowdown over the past several months, with fewer construction projects.

And he says inflation is finally catching up with people.

Another factor at the local government level: Regula points out that federal pandemic monies are beginning to run out.