In Liberty: Litch, Jack Simon

The race for Liberty Township Board of Trustees is one of the most crowded in Trumbull County.
One incumbent, Patricia Metzinger, is not seeking re-election. The other incumbent and nine challengers are battling for the two seats on the board.
The candidates include Roger S. DeFrangia, 54, a retired Liberty firefighter who says everyone he's talked to sees no need for a township administrator; W. Gary Litch, 50, a sales representative for Millwood Inc. and former trustee who says he want to return to give residents good, sound government; Michael A. Marsco, 45, a systems consultant who has served one term on the Liberty Board of Education and says he now wants to help the township reach its potential; Daniel J. Novello, 59, owner of D & amp;N Builders, a former trustee who says the township would not need an administrator if the trustees did their jobs; Jack Simon, 47, a sales representative for Frito-Lay, the incumbent who says water and sewer extensions and continuation of township beautification projects are his priorities, and Joe Swan, 50, a UAW official at General Motors in Lordstown, who says the trustees spend too much on the administrator and on lawyers.
Four other candidates did not attend The Vindicator's endorsement interviews: Edward Cannistra, 63, owner of E.C. Home Improvement; Edward E. Palumbo Jr., 57, an associate desktop analyst for First Energy Corp.; David C. Simon, 39, who operates Ding Master, and Jeffrey M. Seidler, 42, a wholesale distribution administrator.
Our recommendations:We believe that the township would best be served by re-electing Jack Simon and by returning Gary Litch to the board.
One of the first things Simon did when he joined the board four years ago was disregard a recommendation by Litch that the board hire a Toledo man as chief of police. Instead, Simon voted to promote from within the department and what ensued was years of departmental bickering and disarray. It was a time consuming and expensive error.
But Jack Simon impresses us as a quick study who learns from his mistakes. Litch has demonstrated he has the right instincts for Liberty Township over the years.
We trust Simon and Litch to pursue policies that will make Liberty a better place in which to live.
We're not impressed by those candidates who claim that a township the size of Liberty can be run by three part-time trustees. A good administrator can save an urban township more than he or she is paid. Ignoring that fact strikes us as pure populism.
The Vindicator endorses incumbent Jack Simon and former trustee Gary Litch for the Liberty board.