County considers relocating offices to reduce rental costs

The county is paying $37,000 a month to rent the space.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County commissioners met in executive session Tuesday to discuss options concerning rental space for a county agency on the city's East Side.
Commissioners met with Anthony Cafaro Sr., president of Cafaro Co., after their meeting Tuesday.
The Youngstown company owns McGuffey Plaza on North Garland Avenue. The county is renting space in the plaza for the Department of Job and Family Services (formerly called the Welfare Department) and its Child Support Enforcement Division.
Child support moved to the plaza last year from the Erie Terminal building in downtown Youngstown, thus putting all 400-plus JFS employees under one roof.
The county entered into a 10-year lease with Cafaro in 1988 for the space, which served as home to a couple of discount department stores in years past.
county pays about $37,000 a month.
The county's 10-year lease expired in 1998, and the sides have maintained a month-to-month lease since then.
Donation proposed
Commissioner John McNally IV said the meeting went well and focused on the current rental agreement with Cafaro. He declined to comment further on the nature of the discussions.
Commissioners have instructed James Petraglia, the county's human resources director, to again look over a proposal by Southside Community Development Corp. to donate the Oakhill Renaissance Center, the former Forum Health Southside Medical Center, to the county for office space, which could include the JFS.
SCDC owns Oakhill. It made its initial donation offer in summer 2004 and repeated it again toward the end of last year.
Commissioners also are examining the feasibility of consolidating county area court space into one current facility or constructing a building to house the county courts now located in leased space in Boardman, Austintown and Canfield.
For now, the county would continue leasing space for the area court in Sebring.