Through June, Bowling Green Mayor John B. Quinn is optimistic about the city’s finances.
After that, he told Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce trustees Friday morning, there are potentially
serious financial problems looming.
"We ended 2010 in a fairly good situation, after working to cut budgets for 2 1/2 years. The January
2011 tax collections were fairly promising, as is the first six months of the year,"
This week the city began its annual visits with local industry, which Quinn said are also producing
"favorable reports." He said the visiting group has heard that 2010 was a good year and about
favorable expectations for 2011."That’s a promising thing, at least in the industrial sector."

With the state having to find a way to deal with an $8 billion budget shortfall after July 1, Quinn said
he is concerned about the many links of the city’s budget to the state budget. How the state budget will
affect Bowling Green State University, Ohio Department of Transportation, Ohio EPA and Ohio Bureau of
Criminal Identification and Investigation employment will show up in BG income tax collections.
The state is also looking at reducing or eliminating the local government fund, which brought the city
$1.2 million in 2010, and the estate tax, which netted BG a total of $426,000 last year. There is also
the potential for the state to decide it will keep the kilowatt tax that BG electric customers pay,
amounting to a potential loss of $1.8 million. Those three items would dig a $3.5 million hole in the
city budget, even without taking into account reduced payroll taxes.
"We also have five unions to negotiate with this year. This is not an optimistic picture and I
apologize. These are some of the potential problems that Dick Edwards is facing, and we look forward to
that," Quinn said. Quinn’s term as mayor ends Dec. 31 and Dick Edwards is the lone candidate who
has filed petitions to run for mayor. Independent candidates have until May 4 to get into the race.
At the time of his remarks Quinn was not aware of Cooper-Standard’s final decision close its hose plant
on Van Camp Road, but told the trustees he did not expect a good outcome. He learned of Cooper’s
decision shortly after leaving the meeting.
Trustees also:
¥ Heard BGSU will host its annual State of the Region Conference March 14 at the Perrysburg Hilton. This
year’s free event is titled "Upside of the Downturn." There is space for 350 to attend with
more than 200 registered. BGSU’s Dr. Michael Carroll will give the address and also moderate two panel
discussions.
¥ Learned from Wood County Hospital CEO Stan Korducki that the patient census has been "very
heavy." A portion of the facility was used Wednesday night to house about 40 employees who live up
to 40 miles from the hospital because of weather concerns.
¥ Heard reservations are also mounting for the March 26 fashion show that ACT BG, a chamber group, is
planning for Nazareth Hall.