County Courthouse Shocker

[Towntalk]

Points well taken. I guess that my view has been tanted by the Oak Hill controversy.

[Rick Rowlands]

I think 5 million of that is interest on the debt incurred to pay the 9 million restoration cost, if I read the Vindy right.

The 1980s restoration apparently did not address the roof structural issues that the current restoration will address. 

When tax levies are not passed, county workers are laid off and maintanance activities are curtailed to those that are essential.  So probably there was nobody around to seal the cracks in the courthouse's roof.  This lets water get in and soak the roof beams, creating larger problems for the future.  So now we have to pay to repair the damage. In reality we caused the damage by failing to support the county's operations.  What other damage to county owned structures is yet to be uncovered?

[Towntalk]

During the 1980's renovation of the courthouse one of the floors that was renovated was the fourth floor ... the very floor that the Commissioners are saying that needs major repairs today. Now admittedly some 20 years have past since the last renovation, but are they going to tell us that in that 20 years serious damage has occurred? I'm sorry but I don't buy it. UNLESS inferior workmanship occurred or inferior material was used.

Who oversaw the work?

Who inspected the work before the contractors were paid?

$8 million is a whale of a lot of money even in 1980's terms ... money that came out of the pockets of the tax payers of Mahoning County. At the same time you'll recall the controversy over the county jail, and most recently the Oak Hill controversy. Commissionars playing foot loose with tax dollars.

[Towntalk]

Answer to Jay's question -- 1980's $8 Million.

March 21, 1963 -- $143,172.00
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YpA_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=qlUMAAAAIBAJ&dq=mahoning%20county%20courthouse%20restoration&pg=3586%2C1749690

February 27, 1985
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Du5YAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PFcMAAAAIBAJ&dq=mahoning%20county%20courthouse%20restoration&pg=3713%2C4065169

August 12, 1988
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RzBKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=A4YMAAAAIBAJ&dq=mahoning%20county%20courthouse%20restoration&pg=4081%2C4829320

April 6, 1989
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RGJcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nFYNAAAAIBAJ&dq=mahoning%20county%20courthouse%20restoration&pg=995%2C2360028

June 13, 1989
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9yhKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zYUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6083%2C6233553

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9yhKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zYUMAAAAIBAJ&dq=mahoning%20county%20courthouse%20restoration&pg=5198%2C6275929

August 16, 1989
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lixKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=t4UMAAAAIBAJ&dq=mahoning%20county%20courthouse%20restoration&pg=1059%2C84692

December 19, 1990
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=miVKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aYUMAAAAIBAJ&dq=mahoning%20county%20courthouse%20restoration&pg=1754%2C2072533

April 1, 1991
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tmFcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lFYNAAAAIBAJ&dq=mahoning%20county%20courthouse%20restoration&pg=1162%2C118911

December 3, 1991
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BmVcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=klYNAAAAIBAJ&dq=mahoning%20county%20courthouse%20restoration&pg=1311%2C2597565

February 7, 1992
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_CZKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=p4UMAAAAIBAJ&dq=mahoning%20county%20courthouse%20restoration&pg=5603%2C2712286

Jan. 8, 2001
1980's – It took 6 years at a cost of $8 million.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wc9IAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WIIMAAAAIBAJ&dq=mahoning%20county%20courthouse%20restoration&pg=3908%2C3917428

January 30, 2006
http://www4.vindy.com/content/local_regional/303943754659930.php

[Towntalk]

I'll research that question Jay, but you make a very good point.

[jay]

Not long ago the county courthouse was completely restored.  What did that restoration cost?  Why wasn't the building's shortcomings corrected at that time?

[AllanY2525]

ummm... for $14 million couldn't they build a NEW court house?


LOL

[Youngstownshrimp]

In the future, we will see the operation and maintenance contracted out to a business who will keep the cost down, we will not have the money to do otherwise.

[Rick Rowlands]

If the building had been privately owned the cost would have been much less.   

[Towntalk]

Courthouse restoration to cost tax payers $14,828,244.00 PLUS!

Water damages Mahoning County Courthouse
http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/apr/23/water-damages-courthouse/

There was ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE for the county to have allowed the courthouse to have deteriorated to the condition it's in today, none whatsoever and is just another example of the worthlessness of the politicians and their cronies in Mahoning County!

WORTHLESS TO THE EXTREME!