By T.J. Hug
The Village Reporter
Pioneer is coming off of a strong year financially, as its Village Council was informed during their January meeting.
The village collected nearly sixty thousand dollars more in income tax in 2014 than it did in 2013. Bringing in $383,852 in the previous year, the town received $442,823 from the tax in 2014. Mayor Ed Kidston commented on the improvement.
“It was a good year in Pioneer, as the numbers show.”
Making those numbers more impressive is that the village only taxes its people’s income at a rate of one percent. Only two towns in the state of Ohio can claim such a low income tax. Furthermore, village officials do not set aside special funds for renovations made to parks and cemeteries amongst other things, like most towns in the area do. Such monies are pulled directly from the General Fund, which is well equipped to handle such burdens.
Despite so many drains on the General Fund, Pioneer’s debt is actually decreasing. Kidston cited the financial savvy of both Village Administrator Al Fiser and Fiscal Officer April McMillen for this occurrence.
“Kudos to Al and April for managing our money real well.” Kidston credited the village officials.
The task of selecting a Council President again befell members of the council, as it does at the start of each year. Nominations ended rather quickly, as last year’s president, Rod Eckley, was the only person chosen to run for the position. In a matter of minutes, Eckley began serving his new term as President of the Council.
The need to replace a radiator for the village’s substation was brought to the council’s attention by Administrator Fiser. According to his research, the project will cost roughly sixteen thousand dollars. The town has until April 1 to complete the replacement in order to meet compliance needs.
Fiser was also appointed as one of the village’s WEDCO representatives. North Central Superintendent Ken Boyer was given this role as well. Both men served as WEDCO representatives last year as well.
Police Chief Timothy Livengood reported to the council that the crime rate went down in Pioneer over the last year. Calls to the department lessened by over forty percent when compared to 2013. Livengood attributed this to his officers patrolling the streets of Pioneer more than in previous years.
Three of those officers, which make up the entirety of the department’s full time employees, were provided with new ballistics vests. This vital piece of equipment can cost between eight hundred and fifty dollars and one thousand dollars. However, the department applied for and received grant money from the State of Ohio in order to procure the vests.
In his own report to the council, Fire Chief Denny Fackler announced that 2014 was a busy year for the Pioneer Fire Department.
“Man hours were up.” Fackler conceded. “We had more fires to deal with, unfortunately.”
To drive this point home, Fackler claimed that the department had taken twenty-two calls since the last council meeting alone.
Fackler also mentioned that a First Responder Class was to take place on the Saturday following the meeting, which put the class on January 17. Six people had signed up to attend the course. The class was funded through the McLaughlin Memorial Fund.
North Central’s Homecoming Dance will be held in the village’s community building. This decision was met with unanimous approval by the council upon its mentioning by Kidston. The school’s use of the town facility for its Homecoming Dance is a yearly request.
The meeting adjourned without the council entering into Executive Session.
T.J. Hug can be reached at
publisher@thevillagereporter.com