Talk of 4-county port authority harkens back to Voinovich era

In1994, then Gov. George V. VOINOVICH dispatched his chief of staff, Paul Mifsud, to the Mahoning Valley to garner support for the expansion of the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport into a multimillion-dollar cargo hub.

The expansion was an integral part of the state’s plan to create an intermodal freight-transportation network in Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana and Ashtabula counties to facilitate the export of Ohio-made products.

Voinovich and Mifsud believed the air, rail, road and water systems made this part of the state the ideal launching pad for such an initiative.

“We are absolutely, unequivocally committed to seeing this project through,” Mifsud said during a meeting with then-Congressman James A. Traficant Jr. “We see this as the No. 1 opportunity for economic development.”

The Ohio Department of Transportation put up $50,000 toward a $208,000 feasibility study of the airport cargo hub.

Traficant, who was riding high politically at the time, talked about a 20-year development plan that would require $500 million in investment. The congressman, whose popularity with area voters was unmatched in the area’s political history, had secured the support of two powerful members of the U.S. House for the cargo hub at the airport.

CARGO PLAN FADES AWAY

But fate intervened — and not in a good way. Mifsud resigned as chief of staff in July 1996, and in October 1997 pleaded guilty to ethics violations and was sentenced to six months in the Union County Rehabilitation Center. He died in May 2000.

Traficant continued to funnel federal dollars to the regional airport, but the idea for the creation of a four-county intermodal transportation system faded.

In 2002, Traficant was convicted on 10 federal criminal charges, including racketeering, bribery and fraud, and he spent almost eight years in federal prison.

After Voinovich left the governor’s office to serve as U.S. senator, the intermodal plan disappeared from the state’s radar.

But, there has been a resurrection of sorts with Mahoning County Commissioner David Ditzler’s recent suggestion that the four counties join together in the formation of one port authority.

Ditzler broached the idea during a meeting of the commissioners from Mahoning and Trumbull counties at which the future of the controversy-ridden and dysfunctional Western Reserve Port Authority was discussed.

Three authority board members have resigned, and the entity has been without an executive director since April 15 when Rose DeLeon stepped down.

A priority

Ditzler says it’s important for the WRPA to get a new executive director before the regional concept is pursued.

While we agree that stability and credibility are urgently needed in order for the port authority to be effective, we would urge Ditzler to work with the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber and state and federal legislators from the four-county area in the pursuit of the regional authority concept.

With a full-service airport, extensive rail and road networks and modern port facilities in Columbiana and Ashtabula counties, this region has the infrastructure to be a major freight forwarder.