CHAMPION — Township trustees have scheduled a public hearing for a proposed Joint Economic Development District with the city of Warren for property off Educational Highway, where Mercy Health is constructing a new health facility.

Champion trustees will have their public hearing on the JEDD at 6 p.m. Nov. 12, at the township hall, the same day Warren City Council also will have a public hearing. Trustees then will hold a special meeting at 7 p.m. on the JEDD.

Trustee Chairman Rex Fee said at Tuesday’s special meeting that a tentative agreement has been reached between the township and city.

“It is a really good agreement that will benefit both Champion and Warren. With my experience with JEDDs, this will economically help the township and the city,” he said.

Fee said Warren can charge income tax for the employees who work at the health facility, with the city currently charging 2.5%. He said funds will be provided for making improvements in the corridor.

“This is a monumental agreement for both entities,” Fee said.

Trustee Doug Emerine said the facility Mercy Health is having constructed in the township will get no property tax on the project, while Warren city receives income tax from the employees and the township receives some of that.

“We as trustees felt it was necessary to go along with this project,” Emerine said. “There may be some traffic issues along Mahoning Avenue. Some of the residents have expressed concerns over noise and additional traffic. With a JEDD in place, we hope to be able to address some of the issues.”

Fee said a three-member JEDD committee will include a representative from Champion, one from Warren and a third person agreed upon by both communities.

He said the JEDD agreement would be for 40 years.

SAFER GRANT

In other business, trustees decided to not accept a $673,877 Assistance to Firefighters Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant because the township would have been required to provide a local share of $418,897 over three years to hire three full-time firefighters.

“There would be no way we could do that,” Emerine said of the cost-sharing requirement.

The grant would have partially covered the salaries and benefits of the new firefighters and could not be used for any other purpose. A letter will be sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency explaining their reasons for not accepting the grant

Emerine said the township sought a SAFER grant in 2024, but was not awarded it. Fire Chief Tom Demspey had the grant writer resubmitted the grant application and the township was approved for the 2025 grant cycle.

Emerine said a safety services levy was on the November 2024 ballot and was defeated, so the funds for the local share were no longer available.

“That was where the funding for the SAFER grant was to have come from. Without passage of the levy, we could not afford to move forward with the SAFER grant” he said.

Emerine said that to accept the grant, the township would have had to exhaust most of the carryover in the township’s general fund.

“It would be very irresponsible for us to move forward with this grant,” Emerine said.

Fiscal Officer Laurie Jo Miller mentioned the township has made efforts to secure grants, but it has been difficult. She said it has been hard to pass levies, which are needed because expenses for all departments have increased.

She said a fire levy will need to be renewed by the voters in 2028 and trustees will need to consider placing an additional levy on the ballot

Dempsey has said the department depends on two full-time and two part-time firefighters. Dempsey said this staffing level has stayed the same since 1982, while the number of calls and the costs involved have grown.

Dempsey also has informed trustees that one of the department’s fire trucks is 28 years old and will need to be replaced and the department also will need a new ambulance in the future.

Emerine said the fire department is understaffed, and equipment, health insurance and other expenses keep going up, but emphasized that the SAFER grant is not free money.

Fee said the township does not know what the property taxes will be over three years, and health care costs, as contract negotiations will take place for the firefighters union over their next contract.

Trustee Rick York said there are too many unknowns.

“We do not have the revenue stream to be able to pay $418,000 over three years,” Fee said.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, residents expressed interest in a committee being formed to work with trustees to help find ways for the township to save money. Emerine said he welcomes such a committee, which could focus on different programs for the township.