Salem council moves annexation measure to second reading

SALEM

Mayor Jerry Wolford will try again tonight to get enough votes from city council to block a proposed referendum over an annexation to the city.

Wolford had hoped to get three readings in separate meetings Wednesday night, today and Friday, but the measure was rejected by council tonight.

The mayor said, “We’ll try again tomorrow.”

Wolford previously asked several landowners in Perry Township in Columbiana County and Green County in Mahoning County to be annexed into the city. The properties total about 99 acres located on the west side of U.S. Route 62 north of the Route 62 bypass and would used for development to the city.

Green Township trustees filed a lawsuit against the Columbiana County commissioners, who approved the annexation. Judge David Tobin ruled in favor of the commissioners.

Because of a clerical error, the final ordinance to complete the annexation did not have an emergency clause that would have made the annexation go into effect after passage. Instead, it will go into effect after 30 days from the court ruling.

Petitions have been circulated in order to repeal the annexation in November.

Wolford said that adding the emergency clause would stop the referendum.

For the complete story, read Thursday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.