WELLINGTON — Although county voters will be asked to pass a 0.25 percent sales tax hike in November, they aren’t hearing much about it at the Lorain County Fair.

Lorain County commissioners Ted Kalo and Tom Williams acknowledged that they and fellow Commissioner Lori Kokoski are still honing their sales pitch to voters and don’t have a dedicated presence at the fair to talk up the need for the increase.

Kalo said he and Kokoski spoke about it during the fair’s kickoff breakfast on Monday, but there aren’t any informative leaflets being handed out and no booth where voters can stop by to learn more.

Both Kalo and Williams defended the decision not to have an active pro-tax increase presence at the fair because they said they don’t yet have all of the answers voters are going to want.

“What are we going to stop doing? I think the public wants to know that,” Kalo said.

The commissioners have been holding budget hearings for county departments and their fellow elected officials for the past few weeks. A larger meeting is planned for Aug. 31 to discuss exactly what cuts will be made to county government if the sales tax — which is expected to generate between $7 million and $7.5 million annually for the five years it would be in effect — fails to pass.

“Everybody knows that there’s a shortfall, but we don’t know yet what we’re actually going to lose,” Kalo said.

The county is anticipating a budget deficit of roughly $6.2 million next year due to cuts in state funding and other declining revenues. The commissioners and other county officials have said county government can’t deal with the budget gap with cuts alone.

Williams said he wants to make sure voters know exactly what they will be giving up if they reject the sales tax in the fall. He said he doesn’t want to have different people giving out different information on what would be cut if the increase fails.

“What’s most important is to have a consistent message,” he said.

Williams also said that, traditionally, campaigning doesn’t begin until after Labor Day.

“It’s too early,” he said. “I don’t think a lot of people are considering political activity right now.”

Another issue, county Administrator Jim Cordes said, is that the county can’t spend government money on a campaign. In 2009, the last time the commissioners asked voters for a sales tax increase — which was resoundingly defeated at the polls — a massive fundraising and campaign effort was undertaken. That hasn’t happened this year.

“It takes money to be at the county fair and we don’t have it,” Cordes said.

Kalo said there will be a fundraising effort and he hopes there will be enough money brought in to pay for mailers and other standard campaign tactics in addition to having conversations with individual voters and various organizations.

Williams said personal interactions are going to be key to passing the sales tax.

“I think the most effective way is going door-to-door,” he said.

Contact Brad Dicken at 329-7147 or bdicken@chroniclet.com.

CLEVELAND — An earthquake shook the upper levels at Progressive Field on Tuesday, but the Indians stood still.

Despite winning the first game of a doubleheader against the Mariners in dramatic fashion, 7-5, the Indians wound up breaking even on the day, dropping the nightcap, 12-7.

“It was a long day just to get a split,” said Cleveland manager Manny Acta, whose club has dropped five of its last six games. “It’s disappointing.”

Cleveland did move a bit in the Central Division standings — the wrong way — falling six games behind the first-place Tigers, who won at Tampa Bay. It is the largest deficit of the season for the Indians, who with a White Sox victory at Los Angeles on Tuesday night, would begin today in third place.

“I’m not counting myself,” Acta said of the deficit. “I’m just trying to win games. Wake me up when we’re mathematically eliminated, if we’re not in first place.”

The Indians were unable to ride the momentum from a fantastic finish in Game 1, which they won on a three-run walk-off home run from Shin-Soo Choo.

They needed the heroics from Choo thanks to another rough outing from closer Chris Perez, who blew the save a night after taking the loss in another shoddy ninth-inning effort.

Choo also saved Justin Masterson from another tough-luck loss. Masterson owned a one-run lead as he took the mound for the ninth inning and a complete-game bid.

He got an out but put two on for Perez, who had little time to warm in the bullpen before allowing the tying and go-ahead runs to cross the plate on a double from Trayvon Robinson — the first batter he faced.

“It’s not the easiest situation, but that’s my job,” Perez said. “I felt fine. If I wasn’t ready, I would have told them I wasn’t ready.”

Masterson wasn’t as good as he has been for much of the year, allowing five runs on on 10 hits, while striking out seven over 8 1/3 innings. But he gave the Indians a chance to win, as he has done nearly every time he has taken the mound this year.

“He hasn’t had a rough spot the whole year,” Acta said. “He’s been so dominant. We feel at the end of the game that he’s earned the right to finish it.”

Conversely, Perez has hit another rough patch as of late.

“He’s getting himself into hitter’s counts,” Acta said.

Ironically enough, Choo’s double in the third inning arrived at the same time as the quake that swayed the press box and could be felt in the upper deck. Little if any of the players on the field were aware that it hit.

For all practical purposes, the nightcap was over much faster.

The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI double from Kosuke Fukudome, then watched the Mariners steamroll starting pitcher Zach McAllister, who was called up from Triple-A Columbus to make his second spot start of the season on the big league level.

After working two scoreless innings, McAllister unraveled, allowing five runs apiece in the third and fourth, with Seattle building an insurmountable 10-2 lead after 3 1/2 innings.

“The kid couldn’t pitch ahead,” Acta said. “He couldn’t make quality pitches and his secondary stuff didn’t show up and they hit him around.”

Cleveland showed its mettle, fighting back with five runs before the final inning, but could not overcome the big deficit.

“The guys swung the bat well, but we were in too big of a hole,” Acta said.

Acta said after the game that the team would option McAllister back to Columbus and recall Cord Phelps for his second stint with the Indians.

Check back for more Tribe coverage.

Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Fan him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

The Indians split a doubleheader against the Mariners at Progressive Field on Tuesday, winning the opening game 7-5 before dropping the nightcap, 12-7.

Shin-Soo Choo won Game 1 with a walk-off three-run home run after closer Chris Perez blew a save in the ninth.

The Mariners scored 10 times in 3 1/3 innings off Cleveland starter Zach McAllister to take control in the second game.

CLEVELAND — Another injury-plagued season could be over for Travis Hafner.

Hafner, who was placed on the disabled list Monday with a strained tendon in the bottom of his right foot, is expected to miss at least the next two weeks.

According to head trainer Lonnie Soloff, season-ending surgery is an option for Hafner. Soloff said the Indians would make a decision on the surgery over the next few days.

Hafner injured the foot earlier in the year and missed a handful of games without landing on the injured list. He aggravated the injury Sunday while running to second base.

“He was adamant about his desire to continue to play and support the team,” Soloff said. “Then he injured it again Sunday.”

Hafner, who is batting .281 with 11 home runs and 49 RBIs in 82 games, also spent time on the DL this season with a strained oblique muscle. If he does undergo year-ending surgery, he will have played in an average of 88 games in each of the last four seasons.

The Indians had plenty of other injury news:

**A lingering wrist ailment will sideline outfielder Michael Brantley until at least Friday. He missed both games of the doubleheader Tuesday.

“Michael can’t swing the bat,” Manager Manny Acta said. “Unfortunately, he’s not getting any better.”

Brantley will be examined Friday and if he is not ready to play, he will likely be placed on the DL.

**Grady Sizemore tested his injured right knee Tuesday with increased running and agility drills. He said Monday that he expects to begin playing in minor-league rehab games next week, but Soloff didn’t sound as certain.

“I trust Grady’s self-evaluation, but that’s not outlined as of yet,” Soloff said. “We have a lot of hurdles to get over.”

**General manager Chris Antonetti said Monday that he was optimistic that second baseman Jason Kipnis (hamstring) would return before the season is complete. The GM is hopeful that Kipnis will be activated around the time he is eligible to come off the DL, which is Monday.

**Soloff said right-hander Carlos Carrasco (right elbow inflammation) would not be able to pitch again until Sept. 1. If and when Carrasco is activated from the DL, he will still have to serve a six-game suspension.

Comings and goings

As was expected, Shelley Duncan rejoined the Indians from the family emergency list, with reliever Josh Judy optioned back to Triple-A Columbus to clear room on the roster for Duncan.

Right-hander Zach McAllister was officially recalled from Columbus to start the second game of the doubleheader. Infielder Luis Valbuena was sent back to the Clippers to clear room for McAllister.

Big league Choo

It was an eventful 24-plus hours for right fielder Shin-Soo Choo to say the least.

Choo was out of the lineup Monday for his wife’s birth of the couple’s first daughter, which occurred at 12:05 p.m.

He was still at the hospital Tuesday morning, arriving at the park at around 11 a.m. before hitting the game-winning home run in the first game of a doubleheader with the Mariners.

“I feel a lot of drama, like a movie,” Choo said. “I’m not an emotional guy, but running the bases, I was really thinking of my family. It’s the best present for my daughter, right?”

Choo was questionable for Tuesday’s first game. He said he received a call from the Indians at the hospital, then after clearing it with his wife, called them back and said he wanted to play.

“We didn’t even know if he was going to make it,” Acta said. “I’m glad he came.”

Minor details

Right fielder Travis Buck went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI Monday in Columbus’ 6-4 loss to Buffalo. Buck, who has spent the majority of the season with the Indians, entered Tuesday batting .258 with three homers and 22 RBIs in 29 games for the Clippers. … Shortstop Juan Diaz had two of Double-A Akron’s three hits Monday in a 9-1 loss at Bowie. Diaz, who was acquired last year along with Ezequiel Carrera in a trade with Seattle for Russell Branyan, entered Tuesday hitting .255 with eight homers and 54 RBIs in 122 games for the Aeros.

Roundin’ third

Indians pitchers entered Tuesday walking the fewest number of batters (332) in the American League. … Entering Tuesday, the combined winning percentage of the Indians’ remaining opponents stood at .476. … Today, 12:05, No television, WTAM 1100-AM. Tomlin (12-6, 4.03) vs. Hernandez (11-11, 3.38).

Check back for more Tribe coverage.

Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Fan him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.