AUSTINTOWN, Ohio (WYTV) – The mandate from the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities to close the Youngstown Developmental Center continues to draw local criticism.
Staff members, families of clients and local leaders have been fighting the decision since it was announced last year. Thursday, State Senator Joe Schiavoni is meeting with parents to discuss the next step in the battle.
And one local group fighting to keep the center open in Weathersfield, isn’t ready to give up just yet. They’ve been blasting Governor John Kasich for vetoing a measure that would have created a commission to study the matter. The Governor stuck down the provision, from the budget bill this week.
The Youngstown Developmental Center in Weathersfield-like a similar facility in the Dayton area-is set to close by the end of next year.
Several local lawmakers and public officials are promising to keep working with the families of more than 80 residents to try to stop the closure, or find better options for the people living there.
