-
Login
-
Digital Edition
-
Print Edition
- Most Commented
- Most Commented
- Most Emailed
- Most Emailed
- Popular
- Popular
« News Home
Bus levy for Mahoning County tops list of dozens of local election issues
TweetBy Denise Dick
From mental health and public transportation to natural gas and electric aggregation and police and fire service, Mahoning Valley voters will be asked to approve a variety of issues on next month’s general election ballot.
The Western Reserve Transit Authority is making a second try for a 0.25 percent sales tax. Voters rejected the sales tax in March.
Jim Ferraro, WRTA executive director, said the tax is expected to generate between $7 million and $7.5 million annually.
He said WRTA plans a Dial-A-Ride program that allows people to book rides on shuttle vehicles and smaller vehicles to circulate through communities. “We’re looking at southern Mahoning County — Sebring, Beloit, Goshen, New Middletown,” he said.
The transit authority also wants to restore night and weekend routes.
The agency wants to begin routes in suburban areas like Struthers, Austintown and along U.S. Route 224 in Boardman. “That’s quickly becoming a medical hotbed for Mahoning County,” Ferraro said.
WRTA has cut routes because of the loss of grants and state and federal dollars.
The county needs public transportation, Ferraro said. It provides a way for people to get to work as well as allows those who are elderly or disabled maintain some independence, he said.
In Boardman, township voters are being asked to approve a five-year, 2.2-mill police and fire levy. The proposed levy would cost the owner of a $150,000 home about $102 per year.
Last November, township voters turned down a 4.1-mill levy for general operating expenses.
Boardman’s proposed levy would generate $2,078,924 annually for the police and fire departments. Last February, after voters rejected a general operating levy, trustees laid off 30 full-time employees including nine full-time firefighters, 12 road department employees and several police civilian personnel. Additionally, 13 police officers who have left township employ through retirement or resignation over the last two years haven’t been replaced.
If the levy passes next month, trustees plan to return six laid-off firefighters and hire between six and 10 police officers. The number of police hired will depend on results of contract negotiations with both police unions, said Jason Loree, township administrator, and new hires will be phased in rather than hired all at once.
“If it doesn’t pass, the trustees will have to consider some organizational changes,” Loree said. “I’m pretty confident, at this point, that there will be no additional layoffs but there may be some changes in the level of services we provide.”
Mahoning County-wide, the mental health board seeks a 0.85-mill, 5-year renewal levy for current expenses to raise $3,345,550 annually.
Trumbull County residents are being asked to approve a replacement and increase levy for Fairhaven for maintenance and operation of schools, training centers, workshops, clinics and residential facilities for mentally retarded persons to raise $7,492,435 annually. The 2.2-mill continuous replacement and increase levy would replace a levy of 1 mill.
Read the full story with a complete list of issues on the Nov. 4 ballot for the Mahoning Valley on Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.
Comments
Please note that the Mental Health Board levy is a renewal. Vote YES WRTA. We need public transportation.
Vote yes on the Mental Health Issue, it is a renewal. But vote NO on all other levies inclue the WRTA and ALL SCHOOL LEVIES! Government does need to figure out another way to fund these things beside property taxes! Or a county wide sales tax for busing used primarily by city residents!
Enough is enough. we won't keep giving you our ahrd earned money to waste!
Well we sure don't need to give them any more money to lie to us and waste just to turn around and beg us to give them more.
Hey, I have been paying the tax for the mental issue this whole time with the economy bad. I will be voting yes. They are ones who do need the money. Not the school districts! The mental health issue is not asking for more money, just the same amount they have been getting.
Which the schools are not,they want us to give them more,more,more!
did you ever look and see how many mental health related issues we pay property tax on? the levy is for the running of the board for mental health from the levy website
A renewal of a tax for the benefit of MAHONING COUNTY for the purpose of CURRENT EXPENSES OF THE MAHONING COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH BOARD
So it mainly si to make sure te baord egts paid the smae amount of money/ Figurees.
With Obama just about enevitable we are all going to see more of our income go to taxes so its imperative that you vote against as many taxes as you can.
Property taxes as currently structured are unconstitutional and unfair. I don't care who benefits I will vote them all down. If the tax is so important apply it evenly to both property owners and non property owners!
Did you know that if half of our income didn't go to taxes we could have the same standard of living if we made half as much as we do now!
Obama has not won anything yet! All those polls you hear about on the TV are worthless. Ask yourself one question. How many times have you participated in any of these polls on CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox or USA Today? Most likely none. That's why they are innacurate!
As much as I'm against this WRTA thing, you can't just vote down all new taxes and levies. Your property value can be intrinsically tied to such things. At least keep an open mind to important levies like the ones for your schools.
Open mind yes,but t owaste our money for things that theywant but do ont need,no. If t goes to educatio nthat is one thing but nt for prok projects like fancy office chairs oor top of the line computers every year or so. what we got works ands is good enough. you don't need a supercompter.
Why are levies allowed to be put back on the next ballot after they are defeated? (Boardman Township) We need to start a grass roots movement to change Ohio law so that this cannot continue to happen.
NO MEANS NO!
I will be voting "NO" on the township levy. The residents of Boardman cannot continue to make personal cuts/sacrifices so that the township employees can contiue to enjoy payrates and benefits that are no longer available to the residents. Make them pay for dependents' health care coverage, Make them responsible for their own retirement plan. Eliminate the some of the paid personal / sick / Monday holidays.
I will not vote for a levy until the public employees live in MY world.
hey do live in their own little world. one is which we pay for them to sit around and do nothing and go on vacation. when they do work it is not often and it ends to be sub par work.
Most likely he only true vote left in America is local decision making.
Hmmmm...... George W. Bush went to Harvard Business
Barack Hussein Obama went to Harvard Law
They say George wrecked our country, vote for McCain/Palin and save our rights.
A few wil lvote yes but I don't see many o these levies passing. Now MCcani is jsut like bsuh,only he tlaks trash and only tells you what other people are doign wrong and he is a republican. we don't need four more years of that.
Every levey passed means more money the next time they put it out to be voted on. When we vote NO we mean NO!
Three more purse snatchings in Boardman last week. Keep them in Youngstown. Vote "NO" on the WRTA Levy.
Yeah you know crime speads away from the city.