General fund will foot half the bill for Mayor Brown's vehicle

YOUNGSTOWN — The water department will get about half of the $28,757.50 cost of Mayor Jamael Tito Brown’s incoming city vehicle reimbursed from the general fund, the city’s law director says.

The 2018 Ford Explorer ordered for the mayor was paid completely from water fund money.

Councilwoman Lauren McNally, D-5th, told The Vindicator the purchase “sounds illegal to me.”

Law Director Jeff Limbian acknowledged tonight because Brown isn’t going to use the vehicle 100 percent of the time for water use, the general fund will eventually have to pay the water fund for nonwater use by the mayor.

But Limbian added it’s “completely legal and completely ethical” to purchase Brown’s vehicle with water funds.

“He’s financially responsible for water issues,” Limbian said. But over the next year the city will determine how much of the vehicle's use is for water issues, he said.

For the complete story, read Thursday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com