Harrison commissioners discuss program for future homeowners
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CADIZ -- Cody Pettit, public affairs liaison at the Ohio Treasurer of State's office, discussed a new state program called Ohio Homebuyer Plus at the Harrison County Board of Commissioners meeting on Wednesday.
"This is a program where a consumer works with their bank to start a savings account with a higher than normal interest rate," he said.
Pettit said that the program will launch this month, but he does not know the exact date yet.
"It's basically kind of like an education savings account but for the down payment on a home," he explained.
Pettit said many local banks will offer the accounts and the treasurer's office is working to create a complete list of participating banks. He noted that West Virginia has a similar program to help residents become homeowners.
According to the Ohio Treasurer's Office website: "The Treasurer's office is committed to helping more Ohioans achieve the dream of owning a home. We're doing this by putting the strength of the state's balance sheet to work for prospective homebuyers across the Buckeye State."
The program is a collaboration between Gov. Mike DeWine and Treasurer of State Robert Sprague.
Any Ohio resident who is at least 18 years of age and who agrees to only use the account to make a down payment or for closing costs on an Ohio home will be eligible for the program. Accounts can have a maximum balance of $100,000.
More information about the program and how to apply can be found at tos.ohio.gov/homebuyerplus. The treasurer's office will release more information in the coming weeks.
In other news, the Harrison County Board of Commissioners voted to raise wages for some Department of Job and Family Services employees.
Deb Knight, director at Harrison County DJFS, said the public assistance and fiscal bargaining unit staff received an 80-cent per hour raise, and the social workers were bumped up one pay scale and also received an 80-cent hourly raise.
Knight said the department is having trouble retaining and hiring new social workers.
"We were losing them, so we increased their wages in order to keep that and to attract new staff," she said.
Employee wages are also based on experience and seniority. The current starting wage for bargaining unit employees is $18.73 per hour, which includes the 80-cent increase. After Oct. 1, DJFS plans to increase the starting wage to $19.23, but this figure may change before then.
Commissioner Paul Coffland said the pay increase would keep wages competitive with those paid by neighboring counties and agencies.
Stacey Greer, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3722, also approved and signed off on the changes.
Knight said that deciding wages is always the most complicated part of creating yearly contracts with the county.
"The piece of business that is usually the most difficult and lengthy is the wages," she said.
Knight also said that Shelly Walters, who has worked in the Job and Family Services public assistance unit since 1998, is retiring Friday.
"We do want to thank Shelly for her over 25 years of service to the agency," Knight said.
Knight also said the department already hired someone to fill Walters' position, and the new employee is currently finishing training.
The commissioners all voted to allow Harrison County Common Pleas Court to transfer $6.89 to a different account. The funds were left over from the 2022-23 Targeted Community Alternatives to Prison Grant, and the county plans to return the money to the state.
Coffland said he appreciated that Judge T. Shawn Hervey put the grant money to good use.
"I want to thank the judge for using all but $6.89 of this grant money. That's pretty good," he said.
The commissioners also appointed board members for the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association. The commissioners voted to appoint Commissioners Amy Norris, Paul Coffland and Dustin Corder to the board and county engineer Del George as an alternate member.
Coffland will serve on the executive board, and Corder will serve as the alternate on the executive board.
According to OMEGA's website: "OMEGA is a collaborative body of member governments that serves as a facilitator between state and federal government agencies and local entities to provide opportunities in economic and community development through networking, education, planning, research and allocation of resources."
For more information about OMEGA, go to omegadistrict.org or contact the commissioners' office at 740-942-4623.
The board of commissioners plans to hold its reorganization meeting at 10 a.m. Monday at the Harrison County Courthouse in Cadiz. The commissioners will also meet at 10 a.m. Jan. 10 for their regular meeting in the courthouse.