County sales tax take up more than $300,000

FREMONT – People are spending more money in Sandusky County this year, and the increased sales tax revenue is giving the county more cash for public services.

The sales tax is the county’s biggest funding source and makes up about half its budget, the Sandusky County commissioners said.

So far, sales tax collections are $331,627 higher than they were last year at this time.

“In our world, that’s a big jump,” Commissioner Terry Thatcher said.

That money helps pay for things such as gas for sheriff’s office cruisers and employee salaries, Commissioner Dan Polter said. It also could be used to help with unexpected expenses.

“I think the economy is improving and people are buying,” Polter said.

Some might have bought bigger-ticket items, such as cars, or spent money they received from tax refunds, he said.

In Sandusky, a 7.25 percent sales tax is collected. Most of that money goes to the state of Ohio, but Sandusky County gets 1.25 percent of it, Sandusky County Auditor Jerri Miller said.

The tax then goes into the general fund, Polter said. There, the commissioners use it to fund all county offices and their operating needs.

The county also gets some revenue from interest on its accounts, property tax and the local government fund from the state, which the state has cut through the years, the commissioners said.

Despite the increase, the county expects to receive less than half as much this year as it did eight years ago, before the nation’s economy took a dive. It is planning for $775,000, compared with $1.68 million in 2007.

mksmith@gannett.com

419-334-1044

Twitter: @kristinasmithNM

Where does your sales tax go?

In Sandusky County, buyers pay 7.25 percent sales tax. This is where it goes:

• Ohio gets 5.75 percent

• Sandusky County gets 1.25 percent

• Sandusky County Emergency Medical Service gets 0.25 percent