Officials: Land deal shows spirit of unity

By Ed Runyan

WARREN — Trumbull and Mahoning county commissioners said the annexation of 191 acres from Girard to Youngstown to accommodate the possible expansion of V&M Star Steel demonstrates that the two counties are capable of cooperation when jobs are at stake.

“I’ve had a great relationship with this board. They are certainly pro-business. I’m happy with how we all understand the importance of a $1 billion expansion and 400 jobs,” Anthony Traficanti, Mahoning County commissioner, said Wednesday of Trumbull County commissioners during the Trumbull County commissioners meeting.

“Whether the jobs are going to Mahoning County or Trumbull County, the jobs help us all,” Frank Fuda, Trumbull commissioner, said.

The Trumbull commissioners approved the annexation with a 3-0 vote but asked the Mahoning commissioners to attend the meeting to demonstrate their unity of purpose. No such vote is needed by the Mahoning commissioners. All three Mahoning commissioners attended.

Paul Heltzel, Trumbull commissioner, noted that negotiations between Girard and Youngstown took a great deal of time but finally resulted in a “workable” agreement that splits corporate-profit taxes from the expansion between the two cities on either side of the Mahoning-Trumbull line.

“We’re happy to be able to take the last step,” Heltzel said.

John McNally, a Mahoning commissioner, said the project has a lot of unique qualities in that it straddles the county line. “It’s a project for the entire region,” McNally said.

Traficanti said the project may be unique in the state of Ohio or even in the United States in that it involves such a large amount of land and such a large potential expansion that crosses a county line.

V&M Star officials required that Youngstown buy the property they needed for the expansion and that the property become part of the city.

One thing that won’t go to Youngstown in the deal is the property-tax revenue that goes to the Girard school district, estimated to be $1 million to $1.2 million per year if V&M goes through with its expansion.

If the V&M Star expansion goes forward, Trumbull County eventually will create a separate taxing district for the newly annexed property, Biviano said. But until the deal is a go, he has been advised that creation of that district can wait, he said.

The agreement between the two cities calls for the land to return to Girard and Trumbull County if the V&M expansion does not go forward, Girard Mayor James Melfi said. At that point, the 191 acres would become a Joint Economic Development Zone, and the two cities would split the revenue produced by any business activity and wages 50/50, Melfi said.

“We look forward to V&M coming. We look forward to 2010 for our city and our Valley to prosper,” he said.

V&M officials could decide on the expansion as early as next month.

runyan@vindy.com