Rising costs, homeowner rates bump up Mahoning's 2017 sanitary budget

YOUNGSTOWN

The Mahoning County commissioners approved Thursday a 2017 budget of $29,693,382 for the county sanitary engineer’s office, compared with an original 2016 budget of $28,082,381 for that office.

The budget consists largely of revenue from sewer user fees, but also includes about $500,000 in permit fees for sanitary sewer connections, said Bill Coleman, office manager in the sanitary engineer’s office.

Contributing to the increase are rising utility costs; the need to pay for construction projects, including those associated with the closing of the New Middletown wastewater treatment plant and transfer of its sewage to the Boardman treatment plant; and the 5.8 percent sewer rate increase for the average residential customer that will take effect Jan. 1.

Read more about the situation in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.