City of St. Clairsville
City of St. Clairsville

Finance Department

The City of St. Clairsville Finance Department handles all of the monetary items for the City.

The Finance Department prepares the City’s annual budget, annual appropriations (expenditures), annual revenue, debt reporting and payments, and payroll (for approximately seventy individuals) which covers the following: Police, Water, Waste Water, Electric, Street, and the Parks & Recreation Departments; Municipal Utilities Office; administrative staff; seasonal maintenance crews; and the City Council.

Property taxes, income tax, local government monies, as well as other miscellaneous fees, etc. primarily fund the General Fund. The General Fund has one operating levy passed in the 1980’s which has been renewed every five (5) years.

The Police Fund is funded by four specific levies. Two of these levies are continually in place and two others are voted upon every five (5) years. The Police Department costs the taxpayers of the City nearly $1.2 million annually with the levies supporting approximately $550,000 (or, less than one-half) of the total funding. The balance of the funding which is needed annually to operate the Police Department must be transferred from the General Fund, of which most is from the General Fund operating levy mentioned above.

The Street Fund is funded by motor vehicle license money and gasoline tax money that filters through the State of Ohio and Belmont County. These monies only fund approximately 50 percent of the Street Department’s operating costs annually. Again, the General Fund transfers money annually to support the expenses to maintain the City’s streets and alleys; provide snow removal; grass maintenance; storm water management; and other general services to the City. There are no levies associated with this fund.

The Recreation Fund is funded 25 percent by the registrations received for participation in the programs of the Parks & Recreation Department. The balance of the funding (75 percent) used annually by this department is transferred from the General Fund. There are no levies associated with this fund.

The City’s Enterprise Funds consist of Water, Waste Water and Electric Funds. The revenue generated to support these three funds is from the utility billings.

The City contracts with the Regional Income Tax Agency (RITA) to collect and disburse the income tax annually. The Finance Department does not have access to any documentation on the individual taxpayers. Therefore, if you have any questions concerning your account(s), please contact RITA directly at 1-800-860-7482. Once annually, RITA holds a Subpoena Program in the City where delinquent taxpayers are invited to meet with RITA’s auditors to discuss their account(s). The individuals with outstanding issues are sent notices prior to this event.

I welcome you, the taxpayers, to contact my office with your concerns regarding the general finances of the City of St. Clairsville. I can be reached at 740-695-0880 between 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM on Monday through Friday. You also can email me at awilliams@stclairsville.com.

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