Mayor supports plan to move court

The mayor wants a solid cost figure before making any decisions.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mayor Jay Williams said he supports developing a financial plan to relocate the municipal court, but any actual move of the facility isn't happening at anytime in the foreseeable future.
The statement came Wednesday, one day after city council's buildings and grounds committee recommended the city administration develop such a plan to move the court to the city-owned annex building on West Front Street.
The committee heard a presentation Tuesday from Judge Robert A. Douglas Jr., the court's presiding and administrative judge, regarding the need for a new facility.
The judge said it would take at least $7.5 million and as much as $10 million to renovate the 74-year-old, three-story annex building to make it usable for the municipal court. Judge Douglas had suggested in April that a new courthouse be built at the site of the former Masters buildings, owned by the city, on West Federal Street for about $8 million.
Williams said Wednesday that a financial plan would permit the city to get a better grasp on the actual cost of a new court facility, but he points out that the city couldn't spend $8 million or so anytime during the next few years on this project.
Williams also said it wouldn't make sense to spend even 80 percent of the cost of a new facility to renovate the city annex building for the court because that would be a poor use of money.
Based on preliminary projections, relocating to the annex would be about the same price or even more than constructing a new facility.
Budget trouble
Williams supports a new court facility, but the reality is the city doesn't have the money to build one now.
"It boils down to financing the project and sustaining the court's finances," he said. "Does an adequate court facility cost $4 million, $5 million or $8 million? We have to look at it to determine the cost."
The city also subsidizes the court's operations by $2 million to $3 million annually, he said.
City council must approve the buildings and grounds committee's recommendation to ask for the financial plan before the administration could conduct one. Council is expected to consider that proposal at its June 21 meeting.
Judges' responses
Judge Douglas and several council members say the annex is an eyesore in need of major renovations for it to be used as the city court. But they say the building is also a gateway location to the city's downtown and should be improved.
The judges would use all three floors of the building for its court if the project moves forward. That would require the relocation of the city's Community Development Agency and the Mahoning Columbiana Training Association.
Williams agrees with Judge Douglas about the need to move municipal court from the second floor of city hall because that location is unsafe and in poor condition.
But the mayor says he strongly disagrees with the judge's statements about the city spending money on "nonessential" capital improvement projects while ignoring the court issue.
Williams said demolishing dilapidated buildings and investing in industrial parks to attract companies and jobs to the city are essential projects.
For the past eight years, the judges have collected $14 fees for the proposed court facility. The fund has more than $1 million in it.
While the judges wanted to use the money for other aspects of a new court, Judge Douglas said it could be used to help pay a portion of the facility's construction and/or renovation costs.
skolnick@vindy.com