Youngstown must reassess approach to JEDD creation

Three nos and you’re out.

Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams and members of his inner circle need to go back to the drawing with their proposal for a Joint Economic Development District with Boardman, Austintown and Liberty townships. All three have made it clear to the Williams administration that what has been presented is a non-starter. Trustees from each of the townships have responded in basically the same manner: Youngstown needs us more than we need Youngstown and, therefore, the city must sell us on the idea that the JEDD is mutually beneficial.

In addition, trustees have made it clear they aren’t interested a district being created where there are companies now operating. They want to explore the development of undeveloped tracts.

We have previously supported the idea of Youngstown and its suburbs participating in joint economic development initiatives, but we also have expressed our misgivings about what Mayor Williams has put on the table.

The perception in the suburbs that the city is using its water as a hammer has merely served to trigger an uprising among residents of the suburbs who use Youngstown water.

The latest rejection of the JEDD proposal came from Liberty, which is eagerly anticipating the construction of a Super Wal-Mart at the Liberty Plaza on Belmont Avenue.

Several weeks ago, township Administrator Patrick J. Ungaro, a former mayor of Youngstown who battled Austintown over city water, voiced concern that the project was in jeopardy because Youngstown was insisting upon a JEDD for that area before it would commit to provide drinking water to Wal-Mart.

Predictable reaction

The reaction from Liberty was predictable. Mayor Williams heard in no uncertain terms that the area, including Liberty Plaza, would not be encompassed in the JEDD. After weeks of roiling debate, the city announced that it would provide water to Wal-Mart with no string attached.

Liberty trustees did make it clear that they are interested in exploring the possibility of a JEDD being created on vacant land along the 711 Connector.

Now that the Wal-Mart project is moving forward, the mayor should host a meeting of all elected officials in communities adjacent to Youngstown to talk about how the city’s water can be used as a tool for creating jobs.

Youngstown officials need to understand that just about every Valley resident knows that the city is imploding financially, is losing population, has a declining tax base and isn’t making as much money as it used to from the sale of drinking water.

Clinging to the notion that it can use this product as the ultimate bargaining chip is not only counterproductive, but is ineffective.

Water is a valuable resource, but as the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District, which supplies to Youngstown, Niles and McDonald, has acknowledged, usage is down. The MVSD has the ability to sell 60 million gallons a day, but only delivers 27 million.

Indeed, Mayor Williams should invite the officials of Niles and McDonald to the meeting so they can share ideas on how to increase water use.

MVSD needs more customers, but those can only come through its member cities.