Saturday, September 27, 2003
The bill on the Appalachian Regional Commission moves to another committee.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A U.S. House subcommittee approved a plan to add Mahoning, Trumbull and Ashtabula counties to the Appalachian Regional Commission, which could make them eligible for millions in federal aid.
The House subcommittee on economic development, public buildings and emergency management approved the legislation Wednesday. The bill will move to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and if approved there, to the full House for a vote.
The subcommittee that approved the legislation is led by U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette of Madison, R-14th, who represents seven northern townships in Trumbull County and is the bill's sponsor.
"This is an important first step, and I hope that we can get a bill to the president for his signature," LaTourette said. "This designation will make these counties eligible for federal funding, including transportation dollars and money to revitalize public utilities and spur economic growth."
LaTourette said he expects the House to pass the legislation soon.
An amendment to LaTourette's bill would also add Fayette County, located in the south-central portion of Ohio, to the commission.
Current members
The commission includes 410 counties in 13 states, including 29 counties in Ohio. Columbiana County in Ohio and Mercer and Lawrence counties in Pennsylvania are members. The commission was created in 1965 to help distressed communities in the Appalachian Mountain region.
Columbiana, Mercer and Lawrence counties have received financial assistance because of their membership in the ARC, but the commission's funding has been cut in recent years, making the program somewhat weaker than it was in the past, said Gil Peterson, director of economic development for Eastgate Regional Council of Governments.
"It's still an opportunity for funding," Peterson said.
Congress appropriates funds to counties in the commission annually for highway projects, and for community and human-development programs to create sustained local economic growth.
Funding levels
The commission distributed $66.4 million in 2002 for 500 projects, including about $4.4 million in Ohio.
But the commission's funding is uncertain.
The U.S. House approved a budget proposed by President Bush to cut ARC funding by more than half, to $33.13 million. The U.S. Senate last week approved a bill to provide $71.14 million for the commission. The final amount will be ironed out in a joint House-Senate conference committee. LaTourette is optimistic that the final ARC funding will be closer to the Senate's figure.
A majority of the ARC funding goes to counties that are considered distressed. Those counties must have a three-year average unemployment rate at least 1.5 times greater than the national average, a per-capita income of at least two-thirds or less than the national average, and a poverty rate of at least 1.5 times the national average. There are 11 counties in Ohio that are considered distressed.
The four Ohio counties being considered do not qualify as distressed, LaTourette said.
skolnick@vindy.com