POLAND Council seeks levy for roads

Residents will vote on the levy again in the fall.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
POLAND -- For the third time, twice in two years, village council is seeking a tax levy to repair roads here over the next three years.
Council passed a resolution requesting that the Mahoning County auditor certify the total tax valuation of the village and determine how much a 2-mill, three-year levy would generate.
The issue will be placed on the November ballot if council makes the Thursday filing deadline.
Two earlier levies failed. Most recently, in November 2000 voters defeated a 2.5-mill, five-year levy by fewer than 30 votes.
Residents' complaints: Council has been shouldering pressure from some residents to get paving done that they say is long overdue.
Last year, Ida Drive resident James Morris presented to council a petition containing 75 signatures from residents of Ida and Centennial drives in support of paving those roads.
He also gave council several photographs documenting the road's cracked and broken-down pavement and curbs.
According to Morris and his wife, Carol, not much has changed in the condition of the roads.
"I am upset that we have been here 28 years paying our taxes and it just seems to go to all the other roads," said Carol Morris. "I am very disgruntled with this."
Residents in the Ida-Centennial drive area, however, will get a piece of their paving wishes.
Council, with an $80,700 grant from Mahoning County's half-percent sales tax, has authorized the paving of Centennial Drive, from Hill Drive to the second house on Ida Drive.
Other repairs: Council also authorized the paving of Riverside Drive, from U.S. 224 to Fireman's Field; Riverside Drive, from Fireman's Field to Duncan Drive; Hill Drive, from Water Street to Centennial Drive; Marion Drive, from 224 to the dead end; Michigan Avenue, from Ohio Avenue to the dead end, which has never before been paved; and Audubon Road, from 224 to Windemere Drive.
Gennaro Pavers Inc. of Warren got the contract with a bid of $67,355. Any money left over from the project will be used to pave Orchard Drive. Work is scheduled to begin in a few weeks.
James Morris is happy to see at least some of the paving get done. Carol Morris said the road should be paved in its entirety. To do that, and any additional village roads, voters will need to pass the levy.
Informing voters: According to Councilwoman Jacci Untch, the levy failed in the past because voters were not informed as to exactly where the money would be spent.
This time, she said, council will generate a list of priority spots to be paved or otherwise upgraded and will be able to tell each homeowner what the 2-mill levy will mean to their overall taxes.
Centennial Drive resident Stephen Vernarsky, who has also complained about the condition of his street, said he would vote for a levy as long as it gets the streets paved.
"The levy is fine. They have to have some way of maintaining the roads, but it is a levy and I am afraid it might fail," he said.
James Morris said homeowners living on well-maintained roads may not understand the importance of the levy.
Carol Morris is leery. She said even with a new levy, Ida Drive still may not get the attention it needs.
goodwin@vindy.com