Last night city council voted to enter into a development agreement with the YMCA of Youngstown, Ohio that provides a Water/Wastewater grant for the amount not to exceed $500,000.00 to be used for expenses...
The Vindy article said:
"Council also agreed Wednesday to let the board of control give $500,000 in water and wastewater funds to the
Central YMCA of Youngstown, which is planning a $5 million renovation project. The project includes about $900,000
in water and wastewater improvements, according to the YMCA."
Their plumbing must be in GOD-AWFUL shape to need almost a MILLION dollars worth of "water and wastewater"
improvements.
Good lord.... at least the local plumbers in the area will get some work (hopefully).
Improvements to private water/wastewater facilities are not permissible expenditures of public utility revenues under any circumstances. The improvements must be made to the public lines that service the facility, hence enabling the public entity to generate revenue and recoup its investment. This is precisely why Youngstown is being sued by a group of citizens. By the way, city council also approved the expenditure of up to $50,000 to a Cleveland law firm to defend the city in that law suit.
Youngstown will push this illegal practice to the hilt until a court makes them stop. In the meantime, ratepayers, both within and outside of the city, are financing improvements to the YMCA and other less worthy economic development deals.
It will be interesting to follow the progress on the lawsuit case.......
I would like to know if $250,000 was taken out of the water funds to redo the mayor's office during Jay Williams tenure.