Mayors join to enhance life along corridor

The river corridor wants to collectively voice concerns on shared issues.
By SARAH POULTON
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
STRUTHERS -- Mayors of cities that line the Mahoning River met Friday to begin collaborating on a way to bring life back to the communities along the river corridor.
"Back to the Center" will bring the communities together so they can build a single voice in important issues, Struthers Mayor Daniel C. Mamula said. The newly founded Mahoning River Corridor Mayor's Association plans to represent the interest of the corridor cities in social and economic issues.
The group's mission is to advance the quality of life of the region and the redevelopment of the urban communities in the Mahoning River corridor through regional collaboration and promotion of urban redevelopment policies, Mamula said.
Mayors from Lowellville, Struthers, Campbell, Youngstown, Girard, McDonald, Warren and Newton Falls will be representing their communities in the effort. After years of suffering from dropping population and resources, they will focus on rebuilding their areas as a place to live, work and play, Mamula said.
"I look forward to working with the mayors of other urban communities along the river," Mamula said. "The effort is long overdue and we need to speak with one voice when it comes to issues affecting the Mahoning Valley."
Peculiar issues
He said urban places along the river have peculiar issues not shared by other communities. The river corridor wants to voice its concerns on those matters, and encourage local, state and federal governments to come up with an urban development policy, he added.
"The heart of most places comes from the urban areas," Mamula said. "They are the heart of all areas and they are in decline. We have everything in place; it just needs to be revitalized."
The local leaders would also like to partner with suburban areas to promote public policies and equitable funding to enhance the quality of life in the Valley. In addition, they want to seek out representatives who will commit to urban redevelopment.
Currently, no redevelopment plan exists at the state or federal level for areas such as the corridor, and funds for such plans are being cut drastically, especially at the federal level, he said.
"All the program's urban places need are being sacrificed and the locals are picking up the slack," Mamula said. "They can't do that. It's like trashing a house and leaving. Who benefits from this?"
Sprawl phenomenon
Mamula said the current development plan involves sprawl, which is an expensive phenomenon that brings development to country areas outside the city. Sprawl drains cities of population and resources as people keep moving farther away from the city, he said.
"There is no away," Mamula said. "You can't get away from social and economic issues. You just leave people behind and unless the whole Valley is healthy, none of us will be healthy."
The group will meet again Sept. 7 in Youngstown, where it will finalize bylaws and elect officers.
spoulton@vindy.com