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Trumbull officials consider pros, cons of joining WRTA

WARREN — A meeting Tuesday among Trumbull County commissioners and others did not lead to an alternative solution to joining WRTA to provide public transportation in the county.

Commissioners expect next week to vote “yes” or “no” on a resolution stating the county’s intention to join the Western Reserve Transit Authority.

If the majority vote “yes,” WRTA’s legal counsel will draw up an authorizing resolution for Mahoning and Trumbull county commissioners, and Youngstown City Council members will vote on whether to amend the structure of WRTA to include Trumbull County.

If all entities approve, in order to fund Trumbull County’s portion of the new partnership, WRTA may consider asking voters in May to approve a new sales tax in Trumbull County. If WRTA’s board chooses to ask voters for the tax, it would have to file the paperwork with the Trumbull County Board of Elections in the first few months of 2021. The WRTA board will have to determine what percent sales tax to ask voters for; it can be in .10 or .25 intervals.

Mahoning County uses a 0.25-percent sales tax to fund WRTA’s operations now, along with state and federal grant money.

Commissioners Mauro Cantalamessa and Frank Fuda have been supporting the idea of joining WRTA, while Commissioner Dan Polivka isn’t opposed to WRTA, but doesn’t want to use a sales tax to fund it and believes the money can be found from existing sources.

‘AUNT MATILDA’

Also, Polivka said he doesn’t believe there is a need for transportation for general members of the public and that family members of “Little Johnny” and “Aunt Matilda” should give their relatives rides instead of asking for a 0.25 percent sales tax increase. Polivka said this during an exchange with county transit administrator Mike Salamone, who asked him what would happen to the people who wouldn’t have transportation options if the county doesn’t join WRTA.

“Aunt Matilda and Johnny Boy step up to the plate,” Polivka said.

“Who are Aunt Matilda and Johnny and how do they step up to the plate?” Salamone asked.

“They take their mom or their son to work, or they take their mom to the doctor’s office,” Polivka said.

Cantalamessa said voters should be able to vote on the tax to see if the people do want a more expanded transit system in the county.

Ohio takes a 5.75 percent sales tax from all counties. Trumbull County adds a 1 percent tax, so shoppers in the county pay 6.75 percent. In Mahoning County, the county takes 1.25 percent and WRTA takes 0.25, so shoppers in the county pay a total of 7.25 percent.

An additional 0.25 tax would add 25 cents to a $100 purchase, and could generate an estimated $6 million to fund transportation in Trumbull County.

The money would be spent on fixed routes, door-to-door pickups and serve all people — seniors, disabled people and general members of the public, and serve as match to obtain federal and state dollars.

Preliminary discussions indicate the money would be used to expand the routes already in place, which means buses could be making stops in Cortland, Howland, Bazetta and other parts of the county not yet serviced by public transportation. WRTA also has plans to make routes to job centers in Lordstown and North Jackson, and they would use funds to improve sidewalks and curb ramps. The money would also free up funds spent on transportation now with senior levy dollars for use on senior levy services that have waiting lists.

FUNDING IDEAS

Salamone said Polivka’s ideas for funding transportation, by asking for funds from various departments, would only cover transportation for the groups those departments serve, and still wouldn’t be enough money to meet the demand of those groups.

For example, if the Trumbull County Board of Developmental Disabilities contributed funds, the funds could be used to give people with developmental disabilities rides, but not members of the public; if senior levy funds were contributed, the funds could only be spent on senior rides; if Department of Job and Family Services funds were used, the funds could only be spent on people on Medicaid and eligible for the services.

Salamone said it would not be possible to create a transit system eligible for federal funding without secured funding to ensure the county can pay for an inclusive system. The Federal Transit Administration requires a dedicated funding source and proof the county has money beforehand to pay for a transit program. And, the grant money out there isn’t a substitute for a local dedicated funding source, it is just meant to add extra funding to public transit systems, he said.

He also noted funding transportation haphazardly is one of the reasons the FTA shut down the county’s former way of providing transportation, and the state is not going to fund WRTA’s temporary service in Trumbull County forever.

“What you’re doing is you’re taking a step back 10 years, or however many it happens to be, instead of moving forward. So do you want to move forward, or do you want to move backward?” Salamone said.

Polivka said he is still looking at other options.

rfox@tribtoday.com

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