By Colin McEwen
Record-Courier staff writer
Citing budget constraints, Ravenna Township trustees have canceled
this spring's cleanup.
Last year, the service cost taxpayers $38,000 and Trustee Pat Artz
said this year the service was expected to cost more than $40,000.
"We just don't have the money," she said. "We knew we couldn't cut
services like ambulance or fire service, so we had to cut somewhere.
We felt the trash pick up was the first thing we had to cut."
The township recently made cutbacks to the zoning department and
changes to the schedule at the fire department to save costs.
Township resident Tom Dean said he is disappointed there is no
service this year, and worries people will simply litter the
township roads with unwanted items.
"It's a service I'd like to see returned," he said. "It's helpful to
me and keeps the community clean. If we don't have the service,
people will simply litter more."
Dean said he is unsure what he'll do with the two couches he'd hoped
to dispose of, and hopes to have the spring cleanup again once
township funds become available.
"If the funds aren't there, its hard to spend the money," he said.
Artz said trustees are unsure if they will offer the cheaper, fall
drop-off that costs the township about $17,000. She said trustees
will decide later this summer.
Most of the residents have been understanding about the loss of the
service, "when I tell them we're working with 1996 monies in 2008,"
Artz said.
"We're all in this together," she said. "Everybody's in bad shape. I
know what people are going through because expenses are going up,
and there's no money."