STRUTHERS — After hearing from several concerned landlords over the past year, city council is considering taking a look at an ordinance that requires landlords to pay an annual registration fee.

Last November, council approved an amendment for Chapter 1385 of the city’s codified ordinances. The chapter outlines regulations for residential rental properties in the city, and the amendment added a landlord registration requirement and annual unit registration fee. The fee is $50 per unit for landlords with six or fewer units, and a $150 base fee with an additional $15 per unit for landlords with more than six units.

Chuck Pompeii, an owner of an apartment complex and a duplex in the city, voiced his concerns to council at its Wednesday meeting. Pompeii has six units, which requires him to pay $300 annually on top of the $50 occupancy inspection fee he is required to pay when a tenant moves out.

Pompeii said the properties have been in his family for more than 50 years and he has been a Struthers resident for 70 years. He said he understands the need for an ordinance that regulates rental properties, but he believes the problems come from out-of-city landlords that do not maintain their properties — and not from landlords who live in the city. He referenced a meeting that former Mayor Terry Stocker held about six years ago with area landlords to discuss the issue of unmaintained properties.

“We talked about the issue, and that’s the out-of-town land owners that we have that do not take care of their property, and that’s 95 percent single family homes,” Pompeii said during his address to council. “What you’re doing is to people who live in this town, do business in this town.”

Pompeii said he is not opposed to the registration, but he wishes it was a one-time fee or it was by building rather than by unit.

Safety Service Director Tim Daley said the fee is really a tax, and part of it is put towards keeping up the property values in Struthers.

“We feel if we keep the property values up, you’re going to collect more rent to offset that expense,” Daley said, addressing Pompeii.

Pompeii said it doesn’t work that way, and he keeps rent low to keep his turnover rate low and to keep it affordable for his elderly residents.

Mayor Catherine Cercone Miller said her office has received a couple calls about the tax, and thinks it might be time to consider a reevaluation of the ordinance.

“It’s something that might be a good topic for council to talk about. If you live in the city or if we don’t have police reports, or complaints, maybe there’s something we can do,” Miller said.

Council President Michael Patrick said part of the tax pays for an online tenant registration program to keep track of the city’s rental properties and their owners. Miller added that the program helps the code enforcement director address problems with a phone call to the owner, rather than having to go straight to court at the owner’s expense.

Both Patrick and Miller said it’s worth looking at the ordinance down the road to see if an adjustment can be made to help long-time local landlords such as Pompeii.