Ohio Supreme Court: Youngstown, judges should talk first

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Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams

YOUNGSTOWN — The Ohio Supreme Court decided today that mediation must be attempted before it considers a complaint filed by Youngstown’s three judges requiring the city’s administration and council to provide the court with “suitable accommodations.”

The Youngstown Municipal Court judges filed the complaint May 13 with the state’s highest court.

“We welcome the move towards mediation,” Mayor Jay Williams said. “We’ve expressed from the beginning that we wanted this to go to mediation. Unfortunately, the judges were insistent on filing a lawsuit.”

Elizabeth A. Kobly, Youngstown’s administrative and presiding judge, said she hopes mediation is successful, and the judges will go into the process with an “open mind.”

The judges ordered Williams and city council on Jan. 26 to provide a new court facility of at least 34,000 square feet with various other requirements.

Williams agrees the court’s current condition needs improvements, but the cash-strapped city cannot afford the estimated $8 million for a new facility.

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