WARREN COUNCIL Money is key issue in wards

The 4th-Ward race was compounded by unfounded allegations of wrongdoing.
By AMANDA C. DAVIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The city's financial instability and measures needed to improve it are top priority for most candidates seeking council seats in the 1st, 2nd and 4th wards.
1st Ward Councilwoman Virginia Bufano is being challenged in the May 8 Democratic primary by former Councilman Fiore Dippolito and political newcomers Felicia Pruitt, Joseph Spahr and Clyde Wilson.
Councilman Alford Novak, D-2nd, faces newcomer Erik Jennings, and 4th Ward Councilman Ron E. White Sr. is being challenged by newcomers Tristan Hand and Robert Holmes III.
The other ward council members are unopposed in the primary: John Homlitas, D-3rd; Brendan J. Keating, D-5th; Helen Rucker, D-6th; and Susan Hartman, D-7th.
Bufano was elected in 2000, replacing Dippolito. He had been elected 1st-Ward councilman in 1998, beating out Bufano, who spent 14 years before that in the seat. He did not seek re-election in 2000, instead running unsuccessfully for city auditor.
Bufano said the city's financial woes need to be ironed out and that revenues must be generated to restore police and fire department staffs, make road improvements and provide other services. The loss of population must also be dealt with, she said, and incentives must be offered for businesses looking to locate or expand here.
Here's the situation: The city laid off personnel in January 2000 when city parks closed and other cuts were made to head off more serious budget problems. Voters in May will also decide the fate of a proposed 0.5-percent income tax increase to bolster safety services.
Dippolito served council in 1998 and 1999 and said public distrust with the city, in addition to strapped finances, must be addressed. Attracting business and providing incentives is also on his to-do list, along with giving residents a voice in government.
Pruitt says safety of residents must be guaranteed, along with educational opportunities for children. Helping to build a strong economic base is also among her goals.
Spahr said passage of the tax increase is vital because safety services are depleted and "citizens have no idea how bad" this could impact the community.
Attracting businesses and improving the local job market is one way to improve finances, he noted.
Wilson and Jennings did not return Vindicator questionnaires on which this story was based in part.
Novak, a councilman since 1992, said he will help return police and fire staffing to 1999 levels.
New post: Increasing income tax collections is also important, and can be done by increasing investigations of nonpayment and by hiring a qualified tax administrator.
Treasurer Patricia Leon-Games is being challenged by political newcomer John Taylor. Her full-time position was made part time this year to handle city investments. A job description for a tax administrator is being worked out.
If the income tax issue passes, council also needs to see if general fund money is available for a citywide street resurfacing program, Novak said.
White's problem: White's bid for re-election in the 4th Ward was compounded by unfounded allegations that he mishandled cash and checks he collected for the levy campaign.
White, a furloughed CSC Ltd. employee, was vindicated earlier this week when police found no evidence of wrongdoing.
He said he collected a little more than $100 in the last few weeks, put it in an envelope at home and forgot about it. The money has since been turned in and White calls the matter "an honest mistake."
White was elected to council in 1998 and made an unsuccessful bid last year to be a Trumbull County commissioner.
He suspects that allegations were politically motivated but said he will continue to campaign on his merits, which include being a strong leader and keeping abreast of city issues.
Among his priorities are job training for residents, attracting businesses downtown and upgrading streets, sidewalks and curbs.
His opponent Hand, a downtown business owner, said road improvements, stable city finances and the creation of an entertainment district are his priorities, along with holding absentee landlords responsible for their properties.
"I want to add to the quality of life for residents and business owners in Warren," he added.
Holmes, White's other opponent, is retired from the city water department. He said the city is moving in the wrong direction and called White a "yes man" for Mayor Hank Angelo.
"I worked for the city of Warren for 30 years of my life and was able to see what politics is from the inside, and it stinks," he said.
Holmes vows to show residents where their tax dollars are being spent and said he did not accept a dime for his campaign.