Marion County Commissioners

The Marion County Commissioners said goodbye Tuesday morning to Marion County Recorder Mary Jo Osmun, who is retiring, and County Administrator Lenora Mayes, who was laid off due to budget reductions.

Tuesday was the last day of work for both individuals who have served Marion County for years. Mayes said her future plans include running for Marion County Recorder.

The Marion County Commissioners Tuesday voted to advertise for bids to replace and enlarge a bridge on Linn-Hipsher Road. The 102-foot bridge spans the Olentangy River in Scott Township.

The Marion County Engineer’s Office says the bridge is currently deteriorated to the point where it is limited to loads of 15 tons. It will be replaced with a galvanized pony truss bridge capable of handling all legal highway loads. The deck will also be widened from 24-foot to 28-foot.

The Marion County Commissioners Thursday morning accepted the resignation of Marion County Dog Warden Amie Adams. The Commissioners voted to have Marion County Sheriff Tim Bailey act as the dog warden on a temporary basis.

Marion County Prosecutor Brent Yager has reportedly been investigating the dog warden’s office. Details on what that investigation entails were not provided.

Marion City Hall will be closed on Monday, January 16th in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. However, some City departments will operate on a regular or modified schedule for the day. The following departments will operate as follows:

The Marion County Commissioners have announced that the Marion County Building will start closing at 12:30pm on Fridays beginning the first of the year. The early closing will mean that all offices in the building will be in accessible to residents.

The early closing will not affect the Bureau of Motor Vehicles or the title office which are not controlled by the Commissions.

The Marion-Hardin Corrections Commission Wednesday approved the 2012 fiscal budget for the Multi-County Correctional Center. While Hardin County has agreed to keep their funding levels at the jail at 2011 levels, Marion County will be reducing their funding to the jail by 12.7% or $355,796. According to Dale Osborn, Executive Director of the Multi-County Correctional Center, the cuts from Marion County will cause severe cutbacks in staffing and the number of inmates the jail can hold.

The following are details on closings of government offices and changes to services due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Marion Public Health will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 24th and 25th. The closing will affect all divisions of the Marion Public Health including the Administrative, Vital Statistics, Environmental Health, Nursing, Emergency Preparedness, and WIC divisions.

The Marion County Commissioners last week outlined in broad terms the cuts that departments can expect over the next two years. Instead of cutting across the board, the commissioners told department heads they were proposing a smaller cut to the sheriff’s office and the multi-county correctional center. That smaller cut will be made up by the remaining departments.

Offices in Marion City Hall will be closed Friday, November 11, 2011 in observance of Veteran’s Day.  Please note that due to City Hall’s closure on Friday, the building’s weekly early closure day will be observed on Thursday, November 10.  Therefore, on Thursday, November 10, city offices will close at 3:00 pm and Municipal Court offices will close at 2:30 pm.

The Marion County Commissioners held an open forum Tuesday evening to explain the need for the half percent increase to the local sales tax. The event held at the Marion Public Library only drew a few people, but provided details on the county’s budget situation. Even with the explanation, many in attendance did not change their opposition to the measure. Several in fact were protesting the tax outside of the library.