Wednesday, January 20, 2010
YOUNGSTOWN — A contingent from the Mahoning Valley didn’t leave meetings today with federal officials with a check in their hands to make up for the rejection of a $32.4 million proposal to spur development and create jobs in the area.
But they did leave the meetings with a “strong belief” that the White House will come to the Valley soon with money or incentives to help this struggling area, said Mayor Jay Williams, who was part of the local group.
“It was a very, very productive meeting; one of the most productive meetings in Washington, D.C., that I’ve been involved with,” he said. “We talked about millions of dollars, not hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
The Valley delegation will give the White House some time, probably a couple of months, to “do their homework and come to us with resources to advance our economic and neighborhood incentives,” Williams said.
The delegation first met at the White House with Derek Douglas, special assistant to the president for urban affair, and Adolfo Carrion Jr., the head of the White House Office of Urban Affairs.
They later met with Yolanda Chavez, a top official with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and about seven other from HUD.
For the complete story, read Thursday’s Vindicator or Vindy.com