Mahoning Township has opted to not lease about 9 acres of land by its new headquarters on Route 443.

On a 2-1 vote, supervisors on Wednesday agreed to not lease the farmland behind the township building.

Supervisor Carol Etheridge and board Chair Deb McGowan were in favor. Supervisor Mark Schwalm was opposed.

Supervisors Ron Reeser and Matt Wentz were absent.

Before the vote, Schwalm said the board keeps going on and on and that “the time to farm is now.”

“It should remain a farm,” Schwalm said. “They don’t want me to farm it.”

Schwalm said it’s been farmed, and that he has an opportunity to put a bid in, but the board doesn’t want that.

Etheridge and McGowan said that’s not true.

Township roadmaster Nevin Frey asked the board how it planned to take care of the land.

Schwalm said that instead of putting money into the township’s bank account, they’d rather waste the taxpayers money.

“They don’t have a plan,” Schwalm said.

Etheridge said the lease has not been handled accordingly.

“The lease has been mishandled,” Etheridge said. “The lease has not been followed.”

Etheridge said that in her mind, letting the land rest for a year (or season) is not a bad idea.

“She (Etheridge) doesn’t belong sitting where she’s sitting in the first place,” Schwalm said.

The township may choose to subdivide the roughly 9 acres of land.

In March, supervisors discussed the Diaz land lease, which resulted in two votes, neither of which passed.

McGowan noted that in the past, the township has leased this land to local farmers.

McGowan said at that time they have now discussed the possibility of converting the land into a dog park, or community garden.

Or, she said it could look into subdividing or selling the property, which would roughly pay about half the building off.

Schwalm said he would rather see the land leased to a local farmer so that the township doesn’t have to maintain it, and suggested that the township take a year of income and let a farmer maintain the field.

A motion to no longer lease the Diaz land back to any farmers and investigate failed on a 2-2 vote, with one abstention. McGowan and Reeser were in favor, with Schwalm and Wentz opposed. Etheridge abstained.

A motion to maintain the land as a farm than failed on a 2-2 vote, with one abstention. Schwalm and Wentz were in favor, with McGowan and Reeser opposed. Etheridge again abstained.

Township supervisors moved into the former Diaz building just west of Normal Square in March 2024.

The two-story building is on about 14 acres of land at 2175 Blakeslee Blvd. Drive West.

The total project cost about $1.3 million.