Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Operations And Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
South Bloomfield council reviews budget compliance, police updates, parental-leave options and local development
Summary
Council members questioned RITA compliance during a 2026 budget review, received police-department updates on staffing and equipment and discussed parental-leave options and upcoming paving and zoning work.
During its May 8 meeting the Village of South Bloomfield council spent time on operational updates that bear on the 2026 budget and community services.
During the budget review, Council member Tom Ramsay asked about collection of taxes from non-filers and whether RITA (Regional Income Tax Agency) has improved compliance. Alisha Burke, the village chief financial officer, said RITA did not charge penalties or issue subpoenas in the program’s first year but is now charging penalties and will begin issuing subpoenas to non-filers; the village expects compliance to increase as a result. The village will also explore short-term disability through private carriers (Aflac, Colonial) if the council chooses to provide paid parental leave, because HUB reported no carrier available through the village that provides short-term disability usable for parental leave; council asked staff to include bereavement leave for miscarriages in the personnel handbook for clarity.
Chief Michael Maynard provided department updates: new radios and issued firearms are in use and optics have been ordered; officer qualifications are planned for this month. He reported that the majority of April crashes were concentrated at the SR 752 and US-23 intersection and that visible homelessness in the area appears transient, with people moving between Columbus, Circleville and Chillicothe. The police department is planning a "Christmas in July" toy drive to supplement PICCA’s earlier distribution schedule.
Village Administrator Joe Allen said the SR 23 project is restarting, the Day Farm subdivision’s second portion will be paved so homes can be built, and Clearwater Drive will be paved to the edge of the property; he expects the next draft of the village’s zoning book early next week.
The meeting concluded with routine calendar announcements (Mayor's Court May 20, Memorial Day closures, next council meeting June 2), approval of bills and adjournment at 7:02 p.m.
What happens next: staff will follow up with RITA, evaluate private short-term-disability carriers for parental-leave options, continue procurement and permitting for public-works projects, and schedule officer qualifications and camera permitting.
