Y'town officials seek options to avoid sewer rate increases

YOUNGSTOWN

Mayor Jamael Tito Brown said he wants to ask the federal Environmental Protection Agency to reduce a $160 million commitment Youngstown made to upgrade its sewer system and possibly give the city more time to pay for the work.

Brown remains adamant he won’t recommend a sewer-rate increase until meeting with the federal and state EPAs to discuss those issues.

“We need to exhaust all of our options,” he said. “Maybe they give us a stop gap. Some cities have received some years off to rebuild its cash.”

Councilman T.J. Rodgers, D-2nd, said the city is just “delaying the inevitable. But you never know when a Hail Mary will come through and we won’t have to raise [the rate] as much. We’re trying all our options.”

Read more about the matter in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.