YOUNGSTOWN Reese to Dann: County didn't try to lure BWC

Dann was critical of Mahoning officials' role in moving the state office.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County commissioners aren't to blame for the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation's relocating employees from Warren to Youngstown, Commissioner Ed Reese said.
He was responding to criticism leveled at commissioners Thursday by state Sen. Marc Dann of Liberty, D-32nd. Dann sent commissioners a letter asking them to reconsider their plans to bring the BWC service office to Youngstown.
"No new jobs will be created by the move," Dann's letter says. "However, Warren will lose 74 full-time and part-time jobs."
Commissioners voted this week to borrow $2.75 million and pool it with $4.75 million from the county Children Services Board to put up a new government office building on West Federal Street, on the east side of the George V. Voinovich Government Center.
The building will house CSB, which is moving there from its offices in the South Side Annex, and the BWC, which has offices in Warren and Youngstown. When the new building is completed, the BWC will relocate its Warren employees to downtown Youngstown.
No new jobs
Dann said it doesn't make sense for the county to borrow money for a project that doesn't create jobs. He also said the county shouldn't borrow money to build a new facility when office space is available in Warren.
Finally, he said the county's payback period for the loan will be at least 20 years, but said there is no guarantee the BWC will remain downtown that long.
Reese said Dann's criticism is unfounded because commissioners didn't solicit the BWC to consolidate in Youngstown.
"The decision was made at the state level, not the local level," he said.
Consolidation
Jeremy Jackson, BWC spokesman, said the agency is consolidating offices statewide in an attempt to cut costs and improve efficiency. Offices are being placed or kept in areas with the greatest customer bases, he said.
In the Mahoning Valley, the majority of BWC customers are from the Youngstown area, which is why the agency decided to consolidate its operation downtown.
"Locating in the Youngstown area best addresses the needs of our customers," Jackson said.
He said the BWC will open a smaller customer center in Ashtabula County to serve people there who currently use the Warren office, so they won't have to travel all the way to Youngstown.
Regionalization
Dann said he supports regionalization, but it should benefit all areas within the region. This project, he said, hurts Warren. Dann said commissioners should reject the plan and "instead we should work together to prevent municipalities from competing with one another."
But Jackson said he believes Dann is the one fueling the competition.
"I do find it disturbing that Sen. Dann continues to pit Youngstown and Warren against each other," Jackson said, noting that the Warren jobs are being relocated, not eliminated.
"Sometimes regionalization is one-sided," Reese said. "These jobs and these services will still be in the Mahoning Valley."
bjackson@vindy.com