LORAIN COUNTY, Ohio — As a deadline approaches, a growing number of Lorain County communities say they want to preserve their rural lifestyles.
By Wednesday, the county must show the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that it has the support of at least 200,000 residents to be designated as an “urban county.”
On Tuesday, a group of trustees from a half dozen different townships traveled to the county administration building to formally submit paperwork declining to participate in the urban county designation.
"We needed to have better information from the very beginning of this. Last-minute stuff never flies well, and our residents have said, ‘No.’ What we do know does not give us that level of comfort to allow us to support it,” said Rita Canfield, a trustee for LaGrange Township.
The township was among several communities to hold emergency public meetings about the designation recently. Canfield said LaGrange Township’s meeting hosted a standing-room-only crowd.
"Our residents are firmly against changing from rural designation to urban,” she said.
Lorain County qualifies for the change in designations because its population exceeds 200,000, excluding the metropolitan cities of Elyria and Lorain. An “urban county” is a legal term used by HUD for its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.
County Commissioner Dave Moore explained that Lorain County already receives CDBG funding through Ohio’s Department of Development. In recent years, it’s been allocated for various projects, including the Meals on Wheels program, street improvements, new amenities at the Haven Center Homeless Shelter and other uses.
Moore said an urban designation would allow the county to receive direct federal funding without going through a state program. He estimated it would also give the county access to three to four times the amount of funding it currently receives.
He believes the pushback from rural communities is, in part, politically motivated.
"I think you got a lot of people that are upset. They use Facebook to push a fake narrative. And I think everybody got up in a roar and they didn’t realize it,” he said. “This is hurting people. This is hurting the poor, low-income people, all in the benefit for political gain.”
Township leaders disagreed. Some believe they would have less input about how the CDBG funding is allocated and spent.
"More control needs to be given to our local elected trustees as to where these funds are allocated,” said Camden Township Trustee Gus Ristas.
Penfield Township Trustee Eric Flynn added, "I think more money in Lorain County is a great thing. But if we don’t have a good plan to implement and use it, then we’re just being wasteful with taxpayer dollars.”
The debate comes as rural communities grapple with development. News 5 has previously covered controversy surrounding a so-called “mega site” in New Russia Township, and concerns over a possible data center in Brownhelm Township.
Some township trustees said those situations have been eroding trust with county leaders.
"Well, yeah, it absolutely did,” said Brownhelm Township Trustee Greg Butchko. “I said it’s like we’re fighting a ghost. It’s still like that.”
Moore said HUD strictly regulates how CDBG funding is spent, and the agency requires open and inclusive citizen participation.
He pointed out that some of the communities opposing the designation have previously benefited from the grant program and said the “urban” terminology is a misnomer.
"If it didn’t say the word ‘urban,’ it should’ve said ‘enhancement’ because had it said enhancement of our current program, which we have, we wouldn’t have had this pushback,” he said.
Moore said the county was unlikely to achieve the support of 200,000 residents needed by a Wednesday application deadline, but he expected the county to reapply next year.
Catherine Ross is the Lorain County reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on X @CatherineRossTV, on Facebook CatherineRossTV or email her at Catherine.Ross@wews.com.
