YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Thursday morning’s Mahoning County Commissioners’ meeting began with a warning over conditions inside the old Oak Hill Renaissance Place.
“You are one election, one disaster way from our machines being crushed under,” said Attorney Dave Betras, the chair of Mahoning County’s Board of Elections.
Elections workers pointed out the various spots inside Oak Hill where equipment is stored. Many pieces are kept on pallets or have tarps to protect them from possible water line breaks. Voting machines are in the basement where there are signs of previously broken or leaky pipes.
“This building doesn’t work for us; it doesn’t work for the county,” said Mahoning County Elections Director Tom McCabe.
Currently, Job and Family Services, the Green Team and the coroner are also housed at Oak Hill among others, but the complex is largely empty.
Recently, commissioners purchased the old Infocision call center in Austintown, which was renamed the “Patriot Building.” But new Board Member Geno DiFabio isn’t ready to commit to moving departments in there.
“I don’t wanna spend $10 million remodeling the Patriot Building and then somewhere down the line, three years down the line, we’ll have another plan where it would’ve worked better,” DiFabio said.
Anthony Traficanti was on the board when Oak Hill was purchased 14 years ago and said commissioners need to move carefully.
“You can’t have two buildings that are half full, so we need to sit down and look at this,” Traficanti said.
While a study will be conducted on the viability of Oak Hill, officials say a decision will need to be made.
“But by the next presidential election, our board is committed to being in a better location, with better parking and better facilities,” McCabe said.
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