Committee votes to slash leaf pickup budget

YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County Solid Waste Policy Committee voted this morning to reduce county recycling division funding for local leaf pickup from $76,000 to $10,000 this fall to help balance the recycling division budget.

This means the division will no longer fund curbside leaf collections, but will support central collection sites in each community, where residents may drop off their leaves in compostable bags for transportation to a composting facility.

This means this year’s leaf collection program will be similar to the Christmas tree recycling program, in which residents drop off their trees after Christmas at central drop off sites, explained Lou Vega, recycling division director.

Boardman and Youngstown have decided to continue curbside pickup of leaves for composting at their own expense.