COITSVILLE TOWNSHIP, Ohio - The McGuffey Wildlife Preserve could be in the hands of the Coitsville Township Board of Trustees.

This is according to a letter sent to the William Holmes McGuffey Historical Society from the Mahoning County Prosecutor's Office.

Historical Society Chairman Richard Scarcella weighed in on this matter, saying the Society still exists, but if the township takes over the preserve, it would deny Coitsville Township taxpayers a park even though they are paying a countywide park tax levy.

The McGuffey Wildlife Preserve includes the McGuffey Family Pond and Dock. It was designated a historical landmark in 1966. The Historical Society donated the land to Mill Creek MetroParks to upkeep in 1998.

However, a resolution from Youngstown City Council says the pond and dock have not been cared for since then, becoming overgrown and silted with the dock being removed for safety issues in 2023.

Scarcella says that he hopes township trustees will continue to use taxpayers' dollars to upkeep the historical landmark.

21 News has reached out to the Mahoning County Prosecutor's Office to obtain a copy of the letter. We will provide more details on the content of the letter once we have it.

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