YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Now that all of Youngstown is a Community Reinvestment Area (CRA), new buildings and some renovations are exempt from property tax for up to 15 years. But the majority of these property taxes support schools, so some of the people who run the schools are not happy that one of their main sources of funding is being cut.
Youngstown School Board member Jackie Adair spoke of her displeasure with Youngstown City Council making the entire city a CRA.
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“Where is our return on investment? We get hosed down, we get hosed down as taxpayers, ”she said.
“We were surprised because we didn’t know it was coming,” said Kathy Davies, treasurer of the Columbiana Schools.
Davis said they were never consulted three years ago when the Columbiana City Council approved making the entire city a CRA. The Youngstown School Board was also not consulted.
Now people building new homes or businesses in both communities do not pay property tax for 15 years.
“That’s a big part of our income and we have the lion’s share of property taxes and we were surprised that we really had no say in that,” said Davies.
“That’s why I think our city government is short-sighted. You didn’t speak to the board, we weren’t able to. Let’s sit down and maybe we can work something out, ”said Adair.
“So when someone pays less, someone pays more,” said Mahoning County’s auditor, Ralph Meacham.
Meacham said people who don’t pay property taxes still use the schools, libraries and parks.
“I would prefer to see a little more justice for the non-participants from these rating agencies,” Meacham said.
Columbianas CRA has caused a construction boom in developments like Firestone Farms.
“But when we have families moving in and raising these kids, you can see that it’s negative for us,” Davies said.
“You should have thought long and hard about what else you can do to get people into town, and it’s not about giving freebies,” Adair said.
Davies said CRAs should be used for depressed areas, but she doesn’t think Columbiana is depressed. Davies will be researching how much the CRA will cost the Columbiana School District and hopes it will be ready in September.
