Tensions ran high during Wednesday's city council meeting, as Mayor Dan Mamula and the city's water treatment plant manager took opposing views on the elimination of a $6.50 debt services fee.
Mamula had successfully steered a plan through the public utilities committee to eliminate the fee, replacing it with a $3.50 storm water management fee. The Ohio Environment Protection Agency recently mandated cities like Struthers impose storm water management programs to reduce runoff pollution to waterways.
Plant manager Rich Deluca and his assistant Bob Gentile supported maintaining the debt services fee to fund future capital repairs.
The city has $650,000 in the debt services budget, Mamula said. The mayor said the money was enough to cover existing and anticipated debt for the next 10 years, barring any unforeseen costs.
