YOUNGSTOWN Councilman sees an opportunity to finance municipal courthouse

He wants to explore borrowing through the county to fund construction.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The city's recent flirtation with helping finance a state office expansion led Councilman Rufus Hudson to a question.
If the city could borrow a few million dollars to help finance the state expansion, why can't the same be done for a new municipal court?
Hudson, D-2nd, chairman of city council's buildings and grounds committee, will pose that question when the group meets at 5 p.m. Wednesday in the council caucus room.
"I think we have an opportunity here," he said.
New twist on old idea
The idea of new municipal court space has been around for years. Such notions have ended at mere talk with city officials citing a lack of money. The idea of borrowing to raise funds for a court building has been broached before, too. City officials have dismissed that option, saying the city's shaky financial condition makes borrowing too expensive.
Recently, however, the city worked out a borrowing arrangement with Mahoning County on the state office expansion. The city arranged to borrow $2.75 million from the county treasurer for five at 3.25 percent annual interest. The money was to come from the pool of funds the county uses for investments.
The deal meant a good rate of return to the county and cost the city less in interest and fees than borrowing money on the open market, officials said.
The state project ended up being financed without the city involved. The borrowing concept, though, remains appealing, Hudson said.
He wants to explore the possibility with judges and city administrators.
Solving two problems
Demolishing a few dilapidated downtown properties and building a new court facility in their place solves two big problems at once, Hudson said.
Previous talk has been about bringing the courts, clerk of courts, prosecutor's office and even the police department together in one space. Hudson said he thinks that such a building would be safer and more efficient for the court, law enforcement and the public.
rgsmith@vindy.com