Mayor optimistic after D.C. meeting today

After meeting today with high-level federal officials, Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams said he expects a major announcement in April or May about federal funding or policy changes that will greatly benefit the city.

Williams led a group from Youngstown that met in Washington, D.C., with officials from the U.S. departments of Housing and Urban Development, Labor, Transportation, Agriculture, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency and the White House’s Office of Urban Affairs.

“I came away with the continuing and increased belief that these [talks] will result in federal government and national philanthropic investments” in Youngstown, Williams said.

The discussion centered on addressing the problem of vacant properties in neighborhoods, he said.

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