Bellwether’s Bruce Delashmit speaking at a Mercer County Board truth-in-taxation hearing.
Leaders in Stark County are raising some questions with a plan to spend more than $40,000 on a consultant that’s supposed to help the county save money. County leaders last week talked about an 18-month contract for $3,500 per month for Bloomington firm Bellwether LLC to identify potential cost savings. Stark County is struggling to make ends meet. But some taxpayers say the idea of spending more than $40,000 to shave a few thousand dollars off the county’s budget doesn’t make sense. Bellwether offers administrative consultant services for the Mercer County Board at a fee of $6,000 per month plus $500 per month for expenses and another $500 per month for debt service management.