YOUNGSTOWN — Mahoning County Commissioner Carol Rimedio-Righetti said the unexpected late opening of the Southern Park Mall on Monday morning and lack of information from the owners of the mall to explain it are concerning.

Righetti said government officials have assisted with the mall property in various ways over the years, but the response from the Kohan Retail Investment Group, which now owns the property, has shown no respect by failing to communicate with officials.

“First off, they didn’t pay their taxes,” she said.

Boardman Township Administrator Jason Loree said a month ago the unpaid taxes represent a potential $200,000 to $300,000 budget cut next year for Boardman.

“And then the doors are locked, and people can’t get into the mall on Monday because you didn’t pay your security guards and bounced all the checks,” she said.

She does not know the specifics of how the checks led to the mall not opening in the morning as usual, but “the checks they got for their paychecks all bounced,” she said.

Attempts to speak with someone from Kohan Group on Monday and again Friday about the late opening were not successful