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Urbana
DAILYCITIZEN
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2010
SPORTS
Triad girls
advance
Triad advanced in the
Division IV girls basket-
ball sectional on
Wednesday night ...
See Page B-1
Board of
Elections
certifies
candidates
Citizen Staff Report
The Champaign County
Board of Elections met on
Wednesday morning to cer-
tify petitions filed for the
May 4 primary election.
According to Robin
Burden, director, all peti-
tions for candidates have
been certified.
Republican incumbent
Bob Corbett of North
Lewisburg will face opposi-
tion from Republican David
E. Faulkner of St. Paris in
May for a county commis-
sion seat. The winner of that
race will face Democrat
Heather Tiefenthaler of
Mechanicsburg in
November.
Republican County
Auditor Karen Bailey of
Urbana will face Republican
Jennifer Coey of St. Paris in
May. The winner of the pri-
mar y race will face
Democrat Lori Livingston of
Urbana in November.
Those wishing to be
write-in candidates must file
with the county Board of
Elections by 4 p.m. March 3.
Those wishing to run as
Independents must file by 4
p.m. May 3. Information
about running as a write-in
or Independent is available
at the county office.
City Council
to meet in
‘informal’
session
Special to the Citizen
The Urbana City Council
has scheduled an “informal”
work session to be held at 6
p.m. Tuesday, March 2, in
the upstairs training room of
the municipal building. This
is not a mandatory meeting
for City Council, but pro-
vides an opportunity for
members to discuss/review
pertinent issues in prepara-
tion for regular sessions.
Informal work sessions
are held on the first
Tuesday of each month at
the same time and location,
unless other wise
announced. The public is
invited to attend these meet-
ings.
6 8
7 4 8 2 5 8 0 3 0 1
Informing Champaign County Since 1838
50 CENTS
Child support collections decrease
By BREANNE PARCELS million (in collections) to $7.2 mil- Nick Selvaggio said it’s been to welfare fraud and criminal non-
Staff Writer lion, so that’s about $200,000, give awhile since the CSEA has support cases.”
As tough economic conditions or take, a reduction of about 3 per- referred a criminal non-support The reorganization of the com-
continue to make it harder for job- cent,” Current said. case for indictment. mon pleas court in Champaign
seekers, children who depend on Current said many parents have “Child support is one of those County to give the “family court”
some of those individuals for finan- been pro-active in notifying the things we could probably devote jurisdiction over domestic rela-
cial support are suffering across agency when they have a change in someone to full time,” he said. tions, juvenile and probate matters
Ohio, according to a recent AP arti- employment status. “The criminal non-support cases helped with the addition of a third
cle. “The number of reductions and we receive are generated by the judge in 2009. Previously, support
Locally, the trend has followed adjustments went from 91 in 2008 CSEA, and we try to go after the cases for children born out of wed-
the statewide decrease in child to 149 in 2009, about a 64 percent worst offenders. We want to give lock were handled in the juvenile
support collections, said increase,” she said. “At least people those on the borderline an oppor- division, while child support
Champaign County Child Support are coming to us and asking for tunity to avoid prosecution and get orders stemming from divorces
Enforcement Agency help. We always encourage people their act together. From a human and dissolutions were handled in
Administrator Patricia Current. to do that if they can’t make pay- resources standpoint, we need to the general division, mostly by a
“In Champaign County, between ments.” prioritize cases. I try to devote one magistrate. Judge Lori Reisinger
2008 and 2009, we went from $7.4 Champaign County Prosecutor or two grand jury sessions a year See ‘Child’ on Page A-2
Graham Elementary students show their love
Students at
Graham
Elementary
School staged a
belated
Valentine’s pro-
gram on
Wednesday
afternoon for
students and
staff. The pro-
gram was origi-
nally scheduled
earlier in the
month but had
to be moved
due to snow
cancellations.
The program
will also be
staged today at
7 p.m. for par-
ents.
Citizen photo by
Brenda Burns
Alternative energy tax bill in works Wind
By BREANNE PARCELS
Staff Writer
energy,
communities where wind and solar would make Ohio’s effective tax rate
projects are sited, unlike on renewable energy projects con-
COLUMBUS – State Sen. Chris Strickland’s proposal. sistent with neighboring states and
Widener (R-Springfield), chairman
taxes “I’ve seen a summary of it. I have provide a non-depreciating revenue
of the Ohio Senate Energy and not read the entire bill,” Faber said. stream for local schools and govern-
Public Utilities Committee, intro- “I do think it’s a good step in the ments. He noted that with passage of
and jobs
duced legislation Wednesday to right direction. He’s trying to help the state energy bill in 2008, Ohio
implement an alternative tax struc- protect the revenues to the local gov- established one of the most aggres-
ture for alternative energy projects, ernments and also protect the ener- sive green energy standards in the
such as the Buckeye Wind proposal gy services while at the same time nation by requiring 12.5 percent of
to site 70 turbines in Champaign not negatively treating them and the Ohio’s electricity generation from BY KIRK DOUGAL
County to generate electricity. tax structure in an anti-competitive renewable sources by the year 2025. Brown News Ser vice
In a press release, Widener states way. We’ll have a lot of debate and Widener’s bill would require alterna- VAN WERT – It has
his bill, if passed by the legislature, discussion as this process moves for- tive energy producers qualifying for become a question of eco-
would make Ohio more competitive ward.” the alternative tax treatment to first nomics and timing: Will giv-
with surrounding states to
attract renewable energy
offer the electricity gen-
erated to Ohio energy
ing up tax revenue now be
enough to generate jobs and
projects and create up to “I do think it’s a good step in the right providers that are under long-term income?
700 “green-collar” jobs in the prior legislative man- That is the choice facing
Ohio. “This bill will give
direction.” date. Ohio legislators as they look
Ohio that needed edge to
attract renewable energy
The Ohio Air Quality
– State Sen. Keith Faber Development Authority
at restructuring how the
state taxes green energy pro-
companies in the short
term and fulfill its long-
would be responsible for
granting exemption from
ducing firms like those in
the wind and solar indus-
term goal of becoming a the state tangible person- tries. In his State of the State
leader in the growing al property tax and and address in January, Gov. Ted
renewable energy sector,” Widener Mike Speerschneider, develop- approving the flat per-megawatt fees. Strickland said he believed
said. ment director for Buckeye Wind par- S.B. 232 would restrict eligibility to Ohio’s tax rates were a barri-
Widener’s proposal, introduced ent EverPower Wind Holdings, projects under construction by 2011 er to energy companies
as Sen. Bill 232, would allow compa- based in New York, said the compa- and operational by 2012 and would choosing Ohio over nearby
nies seeking to build renewable ny has been following Ohio legisla- require the companies to commit to states.
energy generation facilities in Ohio tive proposals closely, including create jobs in Ohio consistent with “But the fact of the matter
to pay an annual fee based on how Widener’s bill. projections from the Job and is that Ohio’s tax structure
much energy they generate, in lieu “Certainly I think it does strike a Economic Development Impact discourages wind and solar
of tangible personal property taxes. balance we’ve been trying to achieve (JEDI) model published by the U.S. companies from coming to
The rate would be $6,000 per in terms of benefit to the community Department of Energy’s National Ohio to generate renewable
megawatt of installed capacity for and a competitive rate for the project Renewable Energy Laborator y. energy,” he stated. “We
the life of the project or facility. with full transparency,” Ingraham said JEDI was used to should give those companies
Buckeye Wind’s projected capacity Speerschneider said. “It’s sort of derive the jobs figure listed in the ever y reason to choose
is 150 megawatts. what we’ve wanted all along.” press release, based on the six pro- Ohio. That’s why I’m asking
Last month, state Sen. Keith Widener’s legislative aide, jects before the OPSB. the legislature to erase
Faber (R-Celina), who represents Bradley Ingraham, said EverPower “If you plug the numbers into the Ohio’s tangible personal
Champaign County, joined local offi- did not actively seek Widener’s JEDI model, you get just under 700 property tax on generation
cials and state Rep. John Adams in introduction of the bill. direct jobs, construction and contin- for wind and solar facilities
lambasting Gov. Ted Strickland’s “I have not had any specific com- uing,” Ingraham said. that break ground this year,
desire to “erase” tangible personal munication from them,” Ingraham “A lot of surrounding states are create Ohio jobs and begin
property tax for wind, as outlined in said. “I have met the lobbyist for abating taxes to levels Ohio can’t producing energy by 2012.”
Strickland’s State of the State EverPower, but we did not work with compete at,” Ingraham added. “If we Even before that
address. Faber said he supports them.” don’t make our structure competi- announcement by
Widener’s effort to make alternative Widener, who represents Clark, tive, we’ll be out of the game.” Strickland, members of the
energy more competitive while Greene and Madison counties, said Buckeye Wind was the first to House of Representatives
meeting the revenue needs of the the changes proposed in his bill See ‘Bill’ on Page A-6 See ‘Wind’ on Page A-6
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