Editor’s note: This is the eighth biggest story of 2021 in Mahoning County as voted by Vindicator staff.

YOUNGSTOWN — The local governments in Mahoning County scheduled to receive the most in coronavirus relief funds during the two-year distribution period made several allocations for community projects in 2021.

Mahoning County commissioners are scheduled to receive $44 million, and the city of Youngstown will receive $89 million over the two-year period.

The money can be used in four categories: Responding to the COVID-19 emergency or addressing its negative economic impacts; making necessary investments in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure; providing premium pay to eligible workers performing essential work or grants to eligible employers that have eligible workers; and lost revenue replacement for the provisions of government services due to the COVID-19 emergency.

The county commissioners used $4.535 million in their general fund to cover the cost of infrastructure improvements, including for roads and bridges, to cover a loss in real estate tax collections during the pandemic and to fund Community Development Block grants. The amount is meant to replace revenue lost due to the pandemic, county officials said.

The commissioners in November also allocated $312,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to the county prosecutor’s office and Mahoning County Children Services to assist with abuse, neglect and dependent cases in the county’s juvenile court.

Gina DeGenova Zawrotuk, the county’s chief assistant prosecutor, said the number of child-custody and serious cases forwarded to the prosecutor’s office by children services nearly doubled in the year leading up to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Then, when the pandemic hit, the prosecutor’s office and Mahoning County Juvenile Court eliminated a lot of face-to-face interactions and handled many matters remotely or had to postpone them, which slowed how quickly cases could be resolved, DeGenova Zawrotuk said. The funding is for an additional assistant prosecutor to speed up the resolution of cases.

In October, the commissioners awarded $1 million to Boardman to assist with a $3 million stormwater project on Market Street, to go on the site of the former Market Street Elementary School. The project is expected to alleviate flooding issues for 1,400 homes. And, the commissioners awarded $3 million to Valley Partners, an economic development organization, to provide small business loans in Mahoning County.

Commissioners also committed to a street corridor project meant to reduce blight in Campbell.

The commissioners awarded $453,000 to Meridian Healthcare for renovations and safety upgrades to its 550 W. Chalmers Ave. location.

The facility has 56 permanent rooms for housing for people formerly homeless and people suffering from addiction and mental health issues.

In Poland, township trustees in December discussed how to spend the $1.2 million in funding the township is receiving. Departments were told to provide the administration with a “wish list” for the funding.

Trustee Joanne Wollet said the most important thing is for the money to be used toward improving the community.

“My biggest thing is I want this money to be used so the whole community can benefit from it, whether it’s the park or the historical society,” Wollet said. “Whether it’s helping individuals or putting it toward mental health resources, we just need to help people.”

The board also agreed it wants to help local organizations and businesses, and is considering a grant program. The fiscal officer estimates the township has lost $442,000 in revenue.

Youngstown planned to use some of its allocation replenishing general fund tax revenue lost during the pandemic.

The city’s annual income tax fell from $47,133,500 in 2019 to $44,404,600 in 2020.

City officials discussed using about $5 million to demolish abandoned homes, to fund home repairs, to make water and wastewater improvements. and they designated $1 million for each ward for neighborhood projects.

In December, Youngstown City Council voted to spend $1.269 million on 100 body cameras and 155 Taser weapons for the police department.

rfox@tribtoday.com