Trumbull County Water Advisory Board poor attendance preventing action

A board tasked to save Trumbull County money hasn’t been able to make many moves because of poor attendance from members. 

The Trumbull County Water Advisory Board was established by the county commissioners in 2025. The 11 member panel is made up of primarily township trustees. They are mandated to meet at least quarterly but only a few members have attended recently. 

“It is very difficult to get a group of township trustees together because we serve so many roles,” Phil Pegg, an Advisory Board Member and Vienna Township Trustee said.

The panel is tasked with finding ways to save money and make operations more efficient in the county water department.

They cast a vote to present their suggestions to the county commissioners who make the final say.

The panel tossed around ideas of how to better maintain the water towers and not out source work that could save the county from a .43 cent rate raise but fell short when they didn’t have enough members to vote. 

“It seems like it kinda got off on the wrong foot,” Tony Bernard, Trumbull County Commissioner  said. “…no one likes to raise rates but we have to make sure that the rates aren’t being raised just to cover costs that we can cut.”

The panel’s chairman Rex Fee resigned this month. He is considering a return if attendance improves.

Each township has the power to appoint others to the board, something many think is the next step. 

“It could be their zoning inspector, it could be all kinds of people…but they must give that person…the right to vote,” Pegg said.

“If it’s a community minded person it’s whoever that township feels could do a good job there then name them,” Bernard said. 

The panel has had successes in the past, correcting temporary meter fees in order for the county break even and holding a regionalization meeting in an effort to curb high water rates. 

The Board of Commissioner will create an Advisory Panel” compromised of ONE representative from each Entity that is a customer of the Trumbull County Water Department 

The Board of Commissioners will allow/appoint ONE chairperson of said Advisory Panel-to serve until vacated. 

The Panel will provide input quarterly to both the Board of Commissioners and The Sanitary Engineers Department to ensure that the Water Departments fiscal sustainability initiatives are timely, innovative, cost effective, and meet the greatest needs of Trumbull County and its Constituents. 

The panel will meet a minimum of QUARTERLY, and the Chairperson will coordinate the date, time, and location of which will be made publicly available in cooperation with the Ohio Open Act. The Advisory Panel will be responsible for complying with all Ohio Open Act requirements pertaining to public meetings and/or minute taking/recording. 

- The Agenda from the County Commissioners meeting back in 2025 reads