Austintown budget healthy, no need for JEDD with Youngstown

Austintown budget healthy, no need for JEDD with Youngstown

AUSTINTOWN — Trustee Lisa Oles said the balanced $13.8 million budget trustees approved shows the township is financially solvent and in no need of a joint economic development agreement with the fiscally strapped city of Youngstown.

Oles said tonight the township’s budget, which predicts a 4.5 percent increase in spending over the $13.2 million spent by trustees in 2007, includes no layoffs.

“We are financially healthy and are not interested in regionalization with any other government entities that are not as financially stable as we are,” Oles added.

She was referring to a JEDD that was proposed by Youngstown that would involve workers in Austintown and Boardman paying a 2 percent income tax to the city in exchange for lower economic development assistance from the city, continued expansion of water services into the townships, lowered income tax for everyone who works in Youngstown and a reduction in the city surcharge to township water users.

The plan also calls for another 0.25 percent income tax being charged and collected by the townships.

For the complete story, see Tuesday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.