OHIO GENERAL ASSEMBLY Rep. John Boccieri opposes change in method to fund regional airport
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
State Rep. John Boccieri said he will be fighting attempts to change legislation that allows bed tax money to be used to fund the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.
Boccieri, of New Middletown, D-61st, said the General Assembly will begin negotiating a budget corrections bill this week, and he has heard Republicans could be trying to introduce language in it to abolish the funding mechanism for the airport.
"I will be studying it over closely when it comes up in the coming week," Boccieri said.
Trumbull County Auditor Adrian Biviano said $377,000 in Trumbull County lodging taxes last year were paid to the port authority.
Boccieri said the Hospitality Association, which represents hotel operators as well as convention and visitors boards, feel that giving money to an airport takes away needed money for tourism and would like to see the law changed.
The organizations are also concerned the law could "open Pandora's Box" and allow bed tax money to go toward other uses in the future, he said.
Amendment allowed use
In 2004, Boccieri and other Valley legislators inserted an amendment in the state budget that allowed the bed tax use. Trumbull and Mahoning counties were experiencing budget shortfalls at the time, and the Youngstown Air Reserve Station was about to undergo an evaluation from the Base Realignment and Closure commission.
Boccieri said the legislation was crafted to allow the bed tax to go only to port authorities across the state, but he said he thinks only the local airport is using bed tax money this way.
He added that if this funding source was not available, he fears the local airport would have closed and that would have in turn affected the air base.
"There is no way the military would want to stay in town if we couldn't keep the runway plowed and the lights on in the tower," he said.