BY JOHN A. DARNELL JR.
      associate editor
      Boardman Township’s Board of Trustees are hopeful they can expand their annual summer road resurfacing program, bolstered over the next five years with the addition of funding from a quarter per cent county sales tax approved by the electorate last November for the purpose funding Mahoning County and township roadway infrastructure for five years.
      Annually, Boardman Township appropriates some $400,00 to $600,000 for its annual resurfacing program, that covers between 2.5 and 3 miles of roadway, (generally ten to 15 roads).
      Boardman Administrator, Jason Loree, said that county road tax funds could add another $943,000 to the resurfacing program “every year for the next five years.”
      “This funding would generate…$4 million, with [the 14] townships in [Mahoning County] dividing their share among them,” Mahoning County Engineer Pat Ginnetti said on May 6, 2021 at a special Road Safety Infrastructure Plan meeting of the Mahoning County Township Association.
      Ginnetti was asked if the sales tax initiative would provide benefits to townships in outlying areas?
      “With the additional revenue for their road infrastructure funds, townships could obviously implement an increase in local paving projects,” Ginnetti said.
      Of the 14 townships in Mahoning County, Boardman maintains the most miles of roads---144.745 miles.
      Austintown maintains 117.033 miles, and under the plan proposed at the association meeting, will receive $772,368 annually from the quarter per cent sales tax. Poland Township, with 54.54 miles of roads would receive $387,348 a year; while Canfield would receive $280,997 a year.
      The annual disbursement schedule proposed at the association, also provides the following: Beaver (North Lima) $266,962; Springfield, $237.419; Green, $179,281; Goshen, $170,516; Milton, $167,770; Berlin, $132,093; Coitsville, $86,695; Jackson, $82,467; and Ellsworth, $60,961.
      In addition to township-maintained roads in Boardman, Mahoning County maintains 44.40 miles of road, and the state of Ohio maintains 19.71 miles of roads, including Market St. and Rt. 224 that was resurfaced last summer.