WARREN — Trumbull County’s tight budget was the focus of several discussions during Tuesday’s commissioners workshop as they sought to find ways to pay for proposed projects and how to pay for the Washington Fly-In sponsored by the Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber in June.

Commissioners heard a proposal by Trumbull County 911 Center Director Tacy McDonough to begin the first phase of the dispatch center’s proposed move to the Trumbull County Combined Health District’s Building in Cortland by providing nearly $94,861 to hire an architectural firm and a consultant group to establish the structural integrity of the building.

Phillips Sekanic Inc. is being proposed as the architect for the project at $18,300 for renderings, $45,561 to MCM Consulting Group to do structural engineering of the building and $30,000 for testing.

McDonough said she is seeking the funds in response to Commissioner Tony Bernard’s suggestion the project should be done in phases so that the commissioners will have a better understanding of what the project will look like and the costs as it moves forward.

Bruce Sekanic said the county needs to make sure the health department can be structurally modified to withstand natural and other disasters.

“Every part of the building will have to be tested,” Sekanic said. “Doing this will give us an exact cost on the modification of the building ahead of time.”

Bernard questioned why the county will be spending approximately $94,000 that it does not have to do a study for a renovation project the county will likely have to spend another $1.5 million to $2 million to complete.

“I think we really have to think about where we are going to get the $2 million that we don’t have,” Bernard said. “Where are we going to come up with the $2 million?”

“I’m not going to vote (to spend) $100,000 for a drawing that tells me we need $2 million that we don’t have,” Bernard said.

Denny Malloy said state and federal officials already have told commissioners that they want projects ready to go before considering providing financial assistance toward them. Getting this type of study done will assist the county in having “ready to go” projects.

“Where are we going to get the $100,000,” Bernard asked.

Malloy said relocating the 911 center is something the county eventually will have to do whether they borrow the money or seek a bond issue.

“It’s going to have to be done, but we had the American Rescue Plan money to get this done,” Bernard said.

Commissioner Rick Hernandez suggested if the commissioners are not going to do a quarter percent sales tax, which he supports, the county will have to take loans.

“This should have been done years ago,” Hernandez said.

Malloy said borrowing the money would be investing in the future of the county, similar to when the county built its administration building and its jail.

“If we don’t do this now, we will be looking three to four years down the road at doing it at triple the costs,” Hernandez said.

Bernard again emphasized he would not support any sales tax proposal that does not go before the voters so county residents will have a say in the increase.

Warren Township Trustee Ed Anthony, who works with the county’s Emergency Management Agency, questioned what the county will be doing about the movement of EMA from its current building to a fire station outside of the county’s fairgrounds in Bazetta.

Anthony said the morgue, which moved into its building, is causing a problem because of the odor coming from it. The county is looking at ordering a tent to be placed inside of the building’s garage and a fan placed in it to help to temporarily dissipate the smell.

Anthony questioned the county’s future goal with the EMA and the coroner’s office moves.

Bernard responded it is all about the money the county does not have.

“We need money to move them,” he said. “If we can get the federal government to say we can use the remainder of the ARP money, then I think it is a done deal.”

Malloy emphasized they are “turning over every rock” to find the funds needed to move the 911 Center, the coroner’s office and EMA.

“We are going to Columbus and Washington, D.C. to talk to our state senators, U.S. senators and members of Congress to search actively to find money in different non-traditional ways, without raising taxes,” Malloy said. “We have not yet, but we will. We are going to find a solution one way or another.”

Malloy later added there had been questions whether the county had enough money to pay for Nicholas Coggins, the county’s economic development director, to go to the Washington Fly-in to meet with people face to face about getting additional money for the county.

“It doesn’t make sense to me for the county’s economic development director not to go to meetings about economic development,” Malloy said.

Malloy, who will be attending the Washington Fly-in as the representative of the county, said he is willing to personally pay his costs for it, if that helps pay Coggins’ costs to attend..

“It is that important to me,” he said.

Hernandez said he should not have to bear the cost.

Bernard, who has not determined if he will attend, also said he would consider paying his own costs so as not to burden the county.