By Peter H. Milliken

milliken@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

The Mahoning County commissioners agreed to place a 2-mill, five-year real-estate tax-renewal levy on the Nov. 8 ballot for the county Board of Developmental Disabilities.

As of Tuesday, it appeared the DD board levy will be the only countywide tax on the fall ballot, said Joyce Kale-Pesta, county elections director.

She added that no state issues have been submitted so far.

The deadline for issue submission to the board of elections is Aug. 5.

William Whitacre, county DD board superintendent, said the DD levy money can be used to help residents of the state’s Youngstown Developmental Center, who will be displaced by next year’s closing of YDC, if they remain Mahoning County residents.

The levy, which generates about $5.3 million a year, pays for early childhood, school age and adult workshop services and client transportation.

The DD board also has a 3-mill real-estate tax levy that was renewed last November.

Besides the levy money, the board gets state subsidies and funds from Medicaid, which is a joint federal and state program.

The board serves about 1,400 developmentally disabled county residents, and its annual operating budget is about $26 million.

The commissioners also approved a three-year labor agreement with Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 141, which represents 207 county deputy sheriffs.

The agreement, which began July 1, includes 2.5 percent annual pay increases, but removes the cap on the deputies’ out-of-pocket contributions to their health care premiums.

The terms were contained in a binding June 28 ruling from a conciliator after negotiations between the sheriff’s office and Lodge 141 reached an impasse June 1.

The commissioners also approved agreements with Shook Brothers Inc. of Berlin Center for culvert replacements on North Lima Road in Poland and Lexington Road in Smith Township, costing $47,753, and $45,700, respectively.