Federal funds to come to Valley

By Denise Dick | January 27, 2009 at 12:08a.m.

The amount available will likely increase in subsequent years.

YOUNGSTOWN — About $500,000 will be available this year for projects in Mahoning, Trumbull and Ashtabula counties that create jobs or spur economic development.

Last year, the three counties were added to the Appalachian Regional Commission, making them eligible for additional federal funding.

Eastgate Regional Council of Governments will be the local development district for the ARC.

In a meeting with officials from Eastgate and all three counties Monday, Lou Gentile, assistant director of the Governor’s Office of Appalachia, said about $500,000 will be available in federal dollars this year.

In subsequent years, that amount will likely increase as state dollars also will be available.

The addition of Mahoning, Trumbull and Ashtabula to the ARC brings to 32 the number of Ohio counties with the designation.

“We are in parts of 12 states and all of West Virginia,” said Dan Neff of the Appalachian Regional Commission office in Washington, D.C.

With so many states and communities part of ARC, dollars are limited.

Gentile said that Ohio is the only state that also offers state funds for ARC counties. Others limit it to federal dollars only.

Types of projects eligible for funding include those that create jobs, build upon infrastructure or improve energy efficiency.

“We want to partner with local development districts,” Gentile said.

As the local development district for ARC, Eastgate will establish a system for ranking projects submitted for funding similar to the way projects are selected for state Issue 2 money.

John Getchey, Eastgate executive director, said Eastgate officials are meeting with officials in other parts of the state that have been part of Appalachia to learn about the process they employ.

Commissioners from all three counties will be asked to pass a resolution recognizing Eastgate as the development district.

“We’ll make sure everybody gets a piece,” Getchey said.

denise_dick@vindy.com