City consultant says wastewater fund could face trouble next year

YOUNGSTOWN

The city is spending a considerable amount of money from its wastewater fund, but won’t run out of it this year, a city financial consultant said tonight.

Michael Abouserhal, the consultant, said during a city council finance committee meeting that the fund could be in trouble next year if nothing is done. But there isn’t an issue this year.

That’s primarily happening because a major wastewater project being done won’t be finished until 2020, said Kyle Miasek, the city’s interim finance director.

The city is using its own money for federally mandated improvement projects after officials declined to raise the sewer rate. That refusal led the state Environmental Protection Agency earlier this year to delay loans to Youngstown because the rate increase is needed to repay that money.

Abouserhal said he’ll have a recommendation by the end of next month what the city should do about a possible rate increase.