Warren Scott MARIJUANA FUNDS DISCUSSED — Wintersville Mayor Mike Petrella Thursday proposed establishing a special fund using revenue from marijuana taxes returned to the village as well as revenue from oil and gas industries.

WINTERSVILLE — Mayor Mike Petrella Thursday proposed establishing a separate fund for future needs using part of taxes paid by marijuana dispensaries as well as revenue from oil and gas industries.

Petrella said the village has received a check for $837,770.64 in marijuana tax dollars for a period identified by state officials as August 2024 through November 2025.

He said while speaking at the Village Council meeting that it’s not clear how the amount was determined or whether the village will receive future disbursements on an annual, quarterly or monthly basis.

With the approval of the sale of recreational marijuana by 57 percent of voters in 2023, a 10 percent tax on the sale of cannabis products was established.

Ballot language for the issue stated 36 percent of the tax would be returned to the communities where marijuana dispensaries operate with the remainder divided by the state among “social equity and jobs” programs, education and addiction treatment programs and costs for the state to regulate the new industry.

Wintersville is home to two of the state’s 176 marijuana dispensaries, including one formerly owned by Petrella. Sunnyside dispensary is located on Main Street, while Greenlight dispensary is located on Canton Road.

The village and its marijuana dispensaries were mentioned in a recent episode of “The Pitt,” HBO Max’s Emmy Award-winning series that is set in Pittsburgh. In the first episode of the second season, a patient says that she and her neighbor go to Wintersville to play bingo — and to visit one of the dispensaries.

According to various sources, the state has disbursed $35.9 million to communities with marijuana dispensaries from about $103 million in taxes collected by the state.

But Petrella and other village officials became concerned last year after disbursement of the local portion was delayed and multiple bills in the state Legislature called for more of the revenue to be diverted to the state.

Gov. Mike DeWine had proposed a 10 percent increase in the tax, with the revenue to be used in expunging marijuana-related convictions and for the state’s 988 suicide hotline, construction and renovations of county jail facilities, the state Department of Public Safety’s investigative unit, local drug task forces and other programs.

Petrella thanked state Rep. Ron Ferguson, R-Wintersville, for fighting to keep the marijuana tax dollars in local hands.

He suggested using the village’s revenue from marijuana and oil and gas to establish a perpetual fund, with 25 percent invested to generate interest for needs to be determined by council.

“All we would touch is the interest from the money we’re investing,” he said, adding, “It’s basically creating wealth for the village for years to come.”

Petrella said he will ask Village Solicitor Jake Linn to draw up an ordinance for the fund for council’s future consideration.

Also on Thursday, the mayor and Village Administrator Jesse Kosegi advised council of water line breaks that followed last week’s snowstorm.

Kosegi said from Tuesday through Thursday, crews responded to line breaks along Canton, Two Ridge and Fernwood roads and Main Street.

The various breaks led to a three-day boil order, he said.

Kosegi said to repair a 12-inch main near the intersection of Fernwood Road and Church Street, a valve had to be opened, causing water to spill onto the roadway and freeze.

Kosegi said crews were waist deep in water while working on one of the lines, and two of them had to be transported to the hospital for treatment of hypothermia.

Petrella said because of employees’ illness, he and Kosegi stepped in at times to assist the street department.

They said many in the community aided the village in addressing the line breaks and included Fort Steuben Maintenance, the Steubenville water department, Cross Creek Township street crews, Prestige Fleet Service, Marcino’s Towing, the Ferguson family, which loaed equipment, and local firefighters and police.

In related business, Kosegi advised he will be applying for a grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for new articulated blades for the village’s plow trucks, which he said are more efficient and reduce the anount of salt that is needed, and possibly, brine to treat the roads.

In other business:

�–� Kosegi said work to transfer the village’s water customers to a new billing system is ongoing, with vendors of the computer software to be on hand when it occurs later this month.

He said the transfer couldn’t occur as soon as he hoped, and for that reason, customers who pay online through Doxo will temporarily be charged a fee. He said once the transfer is completed, they will be able to pay through Doxo or Paystar.

�–� Kosegi asked residents of Chapel Hill, Furda and Morrow lanes who haven’t signed their plats to call him at (740) 264-3175.

Wintersville officials been approached by residents of the roads seeking their inclusion in the village, which already provides water and sewer service and garbage pickup to the residents, who also pay taxes to it.

�–� Linn advised talks are continuing for the potential purchase by the village of property on Ekey Street, and council met in executive to consider compensation for salaried employees, but took no action afterward.

�–� It was announced council’s finance committee will meet at 6 p.m. Monday.

Council’s next regular meeting will be at 7 p.m. Feb. 19.

(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)