MAHONING COUNTY, Ohio - Mahoning county Auditor Ralph Meacham has released a comprehensive review on what the Oak Hill Renaissance Place has cost the county to date.

The county's purchase of Oak Hill, the former South Side Hospital has been the subject of debate, lawsuits and even criminal trials for former county office holders.

Meacham said the purpose of his review was to provide a clear, accurate and objective picture of the impact of Oak Hill on county finances.

Here are the key numbers.  Since 2006 total expenditures from operations, interest and capital expenditures is more than 34-million dollars.

While total revenue from rent and interest is 14-million dollars. So the bottom line shows total net expenditures over revenues is 18-million dollars.  

"This is a real property eats, it consumes, Meacham said. Oak Hill also has 11-million dollars in outstanding debt on bonds.

Meacham did not show any cost comparisons over the years had the county not purchased Oak Hill.

"Certainly that could be done but that would be a forecast and this is actual. I focused on Oak Hill, said Meacham.

Oak Hill now houses several county departments, including Job and Family Services, Board of Elections, and Bureau of Motor Vehicles.  However, it is  still less than half occupied. Meacham was asked what is it going to cost going forward. 

"I don't think we know until we have a plan.  I want a plan for Oak Hill. I don't care what it is but  we have to put the past in the past and look at this as an asset of the county,"  said the Auditor.

Commissioner Carol Rimedio-Reighetti says the commissioners are working on a plan for what to do at Oak Hill. 

"We want a plan as a group that's actually going to work, that's actually going to move us forward," Rimedio-Righetti said.