By Colin McEwen
Record-Courier staff writer
Citing budget constraints, Ravenna Township trustees have canceled this spring's cleanup.
Last year, the service cost taxpayers $38,000 and Trustee Pat Artz said this year the service was expected to cost more than $40,000.
"We just don't have the money," she said. "We knew we couldn't cut services like ambulance or fire service, so we had to cut somewhere. We felt the trash pick up was the first thing we had to cut."
The township recently made cutbacks to the zoning department and changes to the schedule at the fire department to save costs.
Township resident Tom Dean said he is disappointed there is no service this year, and worries people will simply litter the township roads with unwanted items.
"It's a service I'd like to see returned," he said. "It's helpful to me and keeps the community clean. If we don't have the service, people will simply litter more."
Dean said he is unsure what he'll do with the two couches he'd hoped to dispose of, and hopes to have the spring cleanup again once township funds become available.
"If the funds aren't there, its hard to spend the money," he said.
Artz said trustees are unsure if they will offer the cheaper, fall drop-off that costs the township about $17,000. She said trustees will decide later this summer.
Most of the residents have been understanding about the loss of the service, "when I tell them we're working with 1996 monies in 2008," Artz said.
"We're all in this together," she said. "Everybody's in bad shape. I know what people are going through because expenses are going up, and there's no money."