YOUNGSTOWN Squire talks about plans

The attorney said there is too much blame-shifting and finger-pointing in Youngstown.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Percy Squire, considering an independent run for mayor, has a "very favorable opinion" of George M. McKelvey, who holds that office, but says his inability to bring the three branches of city government together is his shortcoming.
"My impression is there's too much blame-shifting and finger-pointing that occurs in Youngstown and I'd like to contribute toward eliminating that," Squire said.
At the forefront are McKelvey's critical statements about municipal court judges setting bonds he says are too low for those facing murder charges and other violent offenses.
Judge Robert A. Douglas Jr., a former Squire business partner, was the mayor's target in January when he allowed a 19-year-old man charged in a drive-by shooting to post a $5,000 bond. McKelvey wanted the judge to set the bond at $500,000.
Hometown: Squire, a Columbus attorney who grew up in Youngstown, has taken out nominating petitions to run for mayor as an independent in the Nov. 6 general election.
He also has established an exploratory committee to help him determine if he should run and changed his voting address last week from Columbus to a Youngstown home he owns on Kiwatha Road that is being used by his parents.
Squire, 50, plans to discuss "the legal and practical political issues" with his committee, which includes labor, civil rights activists and business owners and whether he has a legitimate chance of winning.
Squire has not called Youngstown home since 1997 and even when he was a city resident, he voted by absentee ballot for about 20 years. Squire often visits his hometown to handle cases and to give speeches.
A provision in the city charter requires all mayoral candidates to "have been an electorate of the city for five years." It does not specify if those five years have to be the five immediately before running for mayor.
Squire has never run for public office.
Careful consideration: "I want to make a very methodical and systematic go of this," Squire said. "I don't want to go off half-cocked or state anything prematurely. I am sincere and serious about my consideration of seeking this position."
McKelvey's name will be the only one on the May 8 Democratic primary ballot. Donald P. Connelly is running as a write-in candidate. There is no Republican primary.
Independents have until May 7 to file for the Nov. 6 general election. Write-in candidates for the Democratic primary have until Monday to file.
Squire led a failed attempt in 1994 to have McKelvey removed as a Democratic candidate for state treasurer. Squire said the problems between the two in 1994 were "pure politics on both sides. That wasn't anything personal. On a personal level, I get along quite well with the mayor."
McKelvey would say only that Squire is "a charming gentleman and I have nothing bad to say about him at all."
Squire's wife, Carol, is a Franklin County juvenile court judge.
He said that in a world of cellular telephones and the Internet, having a long-distance relationship "doesn't pose a significant challenge as they did years ago."