Vindicator: Endorsement Of Issue 7
Highlight: "There’s no justification to cling to a legislative branch that was designed to serve a community of more than 100,000 people. Today’s population is in the mid-60,000 range and is dropping.
Reducing the number of wards by two will not be a hardship on the lawmakers, nor will it deprive city residents of services they expect from government.
A shrinking, financially-challenged city cannot afford the status quo."
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September 22nd, 2014
WKBN: "Youngstown Ward Reduction Effort Kicks Off"
Highlight: "Right now, only 65,000 people live in city of Youngstown. Organizers say five wards means more equal representation and two fewer council members, which saves the city approximately $360,000 over a four-year term."
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September 10th, 2014
The Jambar: "Reduce & Redistrict: 'Draw The Line' Movement Seeks To Decrease The Size Of City Council"
Highlight: "When the city charter was approved in 1923, it divided the city into seven wards. Prior to that, it had consisted of five wards. According to the census, Youngstown had 132,358 citizens in 1920.
The most recent estimates place the city’s population at 65,185 — yet the number of wards has remained at seven.The proposed amendment allows for seven wards if the city’s population reaches 80,000 or greater, but reduces the number of wards to five if the population is below 80,000, as it currently stands."
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September 6th, 2014
Vindicator: "Petitions For Youngstown Charter-Amendment Proposal Have Enough Valid Signatures"
Highlight: "Though it didn't matter how many valid signatures were on petitions for an issue to cut the number of wards in the city to get it on the ballot, more than enough were collected...Of all the signatures collected, 84.2 percent were valid — which elections officials noted is higher than normal."
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September 5th, 2014
Vindicator (Skolnick): "Council Displays Creativity"
Highlight: "If the amendment is approved, there will be five wards instead of seven starting with the 2015 election. It appears the chance of the ward-reduction amendment passing is good."
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September 3rd, 2014
Vindicator: "Youngstown Voters Will Decide If They Want To Reduce The City To Reduce Its Wards From 7 To 5"
Highlight: "City council agreed to place a charter-amendment proposal in front of voters Nov. 4 to reduce the number of wards in Youngstown from seven to five."
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August 27th, 2014
WKBN: "Redrawing Youngstown's Wards May Be A Moot Point"
Highlight: "We've had seven council members since we've had over 150,000 population, we're down to 63,000 population now...It's time for us to make certain cuts. We can't ask other departments to make cuts without making cuts themselves."
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August 22, 2014
WKBN: "Council Ignored Ballot Petitions At Meeting To Redraw Wards"
Highlight: "Youngstown Law Director Martin Hume said there is no doubt council should have acted."
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August 18, 2014
WKBN: "Enough Signatures Collected To Move Youngstown Redistricting Forward"
Highlight: "The committee, which calls itself Draw the Line, has been collecting signatures to put a charter amendment on the November ballot that would cut the number of wards from seven to five. Monday, they delivered 1,600 signatures to city council. They were required to have at least 1,200 hundred signatures before the issue could go before voters."
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August 6th, 2014
WKBN: "Citizen's Take Up Youngstown Downsizing Effort"
Highlight: "The proposed amendment calls for seven ward seats if the city’s population is 80,000 or more. But it is not. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, approximately 65,000 people now live in Youngstown. The city charter established seven wards in 1923. Since then, Youngstown has lost 60 percent of its population."
