Regionalization Summit urges officials to join effort

GIRARD — Regional Chamber leaders tried to convince about 80 government officials and public employees that collaboration and consolidation is crucial to reviving the Mahoning Valley economy.

The chamber presented experts during a Regionalization Summit at the Holiday Inn MetroPlex on the concept. They urged local officials to get behind its effort, which aims to consolidate local school district administrations and to establish a county legislature.

“We’ve lost 10 percent of our population and hundreds of good paying jobs,” said Tony Paglia, the chamber’s vice president of government affairs. “The government has grown in the last 20 years, while the population has continued to shrink.”

For more, see Saturday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com