Mahoning Valley - This winter, a lot of the discussion has centered on the cold, rather than snow. But even though there haven't been a lot of snow covered roads, many communities are running low on salt. 

Despite having some mild winters in previous years, some areas in the valley seem to be left out in the cold when it comes to getting their salt supply.

The dangerous cold weather is bringing salt trucks to the roads, and some communities are running out of their supply.

"A community should never have to say they can't treat their roads," said Ben Kyle, mayor of Hubbard.

Deidre Petrosky, mayor of Cortland, put out a message on social media over the weekend, saying there is a "significant salt shortage."

Here is the full message:

“The City of Cortland is aware of the current road conditions and understands the concerns of our community. Over the weekend, multiple service crews were dispatched to address road maintenance, and we continue to monitor and respond as needed.

However, like many other communities, we are facing a significant salt shortage. Our service department has been awaiting the delivery of our latest salt order for nearly four weeks, which has required us to be conservative with our existing supply. While we are prioritizing major roads and high-traffic areas, we appreciate your patience as we work to manage resources effectively.

We encourage residents to exercise caution while driving, allow extra travel time, and be mindful of road conditions. Your safety remains our top priority, and we appreciate your understanding as we navigate these challenges.

Thank you for your cooperation and support. We will provide updates as soon as additional salt deliveries arrive.”


Because of the shortage, less salt was being put on the roads.

“Our crews were told to salt lightly. We didn't know when we'll be able to get this next shipment,” said Petrosky.

Kyle expressed the same concern in January. He was unable to get salt from the city's normal suppliers and had to reach out to the open market. 

“I was denied even being able to get a quote by the two salt mines, so the major suppliers of salt,” said Kyle. “And for whatever reason, there has been a struggle for some communities to secure the salt needed.”

Cortland gets their salt through a contract with ODOT, but still is facing a shortage.

“We sign a yearly contract through the state of Ohio. So we get our salt through the ODOT contract, and ODOT gets priority over the salt manufacturer,” said Petrosky.

Both Hubbard and Cortland have been able to get the salt needed to treat the roads, but are hoping to get more for the rest of the winter. 

“Today, we contacted the trucking company. Although they won't be able to deliver all 135 tons tomorrow, they will give us a couple deliveries to get us through the bad weather that's supposed to be coming this week,” said Petrosky.

Some major salt companies, such as American Rock Salt, have paused deliveries due to a shortage due to severe weather in other places. 

21 News reached out to Cargill and Morton to see if they are seeing a similar problem, but have not heard back yet. 

But where do other communities stand?

The Trumbull County engineer and ODOT both said they have enough salt for upcoming winter weather, and are expecting more shipments. 

Nicole Klingeman, Fiscal Officer at Trumbull County Engineer, said the county has around 3,000 tons of salt and 4,800 tons on order.

Ray Marsch, spokesperson for ODOT District 4, said they have been receiving shipments of salt over the past few weeks. By the end of the week, both garages in Mahoning and Trumbull Counties are expected to be half full.

Bill Helscel, Columbiana County Chief Deputy Highway Engineer, said he has enough salt for the upcoming weather, but is still looking for more for the remainder of winter.

Pat Ginnetti, Mahoning County engineer, said the county does not have a salt shortage.