Lowellville Village council holds special meeting

July 17, 2015 at 12:00a.m.

By SARAH LEHR

LOWELLVILLE

Village council voted 3-2 to approve a salary increase for the mayor’s job beginning in 2016.

The new salary, approved at a special council meeting Thursday night, will be $12,000 a year, which is a $7,200 increase from the current $4,800 salary. City council members make $3,600 a year.

Councilmen Paul Meehan, Robert Coppola and Ronald Rotunno voted for the increase. Councilmen Phil Alfano and Keith McCaughtry voted against it. Councilman William Flora was not at the meeting.

“Don’t get me wrong, mayor, I think you do a wonderful job,” Alfano said. “I just think it’s an excess.”

The current mayor, James Iudiciani Sr., will not necessarily receive the raise. The first mayor to receive it will be whoever is elected to the post in the 2016 election.

Council also passed legislation allowing for a tax- levy renewal to be placed on the November general-election ballot.

The proposed 4.5-mill levy, if approved, will go toward maintaining village services. It would go into effect in January and continue for five years. Voters approved a similar levy in November 2010.

Additionally, council approved legislation to accept a $669,160 grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission for emergency repairs to McGill Street and Walnut Street after damage from this summer’s storms.

The grant covers 80 percent of the project’s $836,450 estimated cost. How the village will come up with the remaining $167,290 remains to be seen. Iudiciani said the village will likely take out a loan from sources such as the OPWC or a local bank.

Finally, council authorized the transfer of an amount of money not to exceed $38,000 from the general fund to the demolition fund. The village would like to demolish the former Cunningham Old building at 124 E. Water St. and, if necessary, they will use the money to do so. The village has condemned the building, Iudiciani said.

“Someone’s going to get killed,” McCaughtry said of the building. “Some kid’s going to go down there and get killed.”

David Kerlak currently owns the building.