Almost four years after Mahoning County purchased Oakhill Renaissance Place, the three current and former office holders who tried to keep the deal from happening still have no regrets.
Commissioner John McNally, Auditor Mike Sciortino and former Treasurer John Reardon met reporters and others to defend their positions, even though their efforts are reportedly now the focus of a two-year-old criminal investigation.
"This is a big deal, it's a controversial issue," McNally said. "I certainly don't apologize for that."
Reardon added: "Our opposition was based on the belief that Oakhill was a bad idea."
At the center of the Oakhill controversy were plans to move the county's Department of Jobs and Family Services out of the McGuffy Mall, which is owned by the Cafaro Company. This is something Sciortino said overshadowed Oakhill's expense issues, claiming "the perception has driven this."
The three claim since purchasing Oakhill in 2006, the county has spent over $5.5 million more than what's been collected in rent and reimbursements. They predict another $5.8 million is still owed in various expenses, such as back taxes, which makes the county's bad financial situation even worse.
Sciortino asked "is there a connection" between recent budget cuts and spending on Oakhill? "I think there is."
All three admit they're concerned, and even scared, by what may come of the Oakhill investigation. But all three also say they will not testify in front of the Grand Jury.
Reardon said, "I just don't have faith that it's fair," while McNally said "they [investigators] don't want to hear about the bad decisions that have been made in regards to this building, they're looking for hides on the wall."
Meanwhile Sciortino said "it was suggested to my attorney that it doesn't matter what Mike Sciortino has to say -- that the process was done."
Tuesday's appearance by John Reardon was his first since he gave-up a job with the Ohio Department of Commerce, admitting the Oakhill matter was one of several that led him to resign.
Meanwhile, County Administrator George Tablack, one of the supporters of Oakhill, refused to comment on Tuesday's events, other than to claim the numbers included in this story were what he called a "juxtaposition of accounting principles."
As for the Grand Jury, we could see something there early next month.
