Trustee hopefuls vie for 2- and 4- year seats

Township residents will fill three positions.
By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- Ken Carano's gone and Jeff Groat's not coming back, but David Ditzler said he'll probably be around for at least the next year -- if he's re-elected as an Austintown township trustee.
Carano, a Democrat, resigned as a trustee earlier this year so he could serve as a state representative. Groat, a Democrat and the current president of the board of trustees, announced in August that he won't seek re-election so he can concentrate on running for Mahoning County Commissioner.
That leaves Ditzler as the only trustee elected in 1997 who is seeking another four-year term. Other candidates running for a four-year term include Mary Lou Chinchic, current Trustee Warren "Bo" Pritchard, and local business owner David L. Williams.
Pritchard was appointed by the trustees in February to serve as Carano's replacement until the general election.
The two candidates who earn the most votes in the election will each win four-year terms.
In addition, five candidates -- Lisa L. Oles, Tammy M. Romeo, James P. Johnson, Harold Porter, and Richard E. Edwards -- are running for the remaining two years of Carano's term.
Won't leave: Ditzler said he can "pretty much assure" township residents that he won't run for another political position next year. Pritchard guaranteed that he would serve as a trustee for all four years if he is elected.
Williams said, however, that some township residents are concerned about some of the trustees' recent decisions to switch careers. "There are people who are upset that they keep bouncing back and forth," he said.
Williams added that he decided to run for a full term because, "to accomplish anything, it's going to take more than two years." He said that as a trustee, he would work to offer tax abatements to property owners who want to improve the land along Mahoning Avenue east of state Route 11. Williams also wants to find ways to construct additional police substations in the township.
Pritchard said that he would try and amend the township zoning code to deal with development problems if he is elected. He also said he would try to create enterprise zones near major highways for future business development.
Regulations: Both Pritchard and Ditzler also stressed that if elected, they would push the state legislature to amend the regulations created in 1976 when House Bill 920 was approved. House Bill 920 does not allow trustees to collect additional money through property taxes if more homes are constructed in the township. Instead, trustees have to divide the tax burden equally among all homes in a township.
Pritchard said he feels trustees should be allowed to assess taxes based on the value of new homes, instead of dividing the tax base among all the homes in a township.
Ditzler, meanwhile, said he has been working with a group called the Coalition of Large Ohio Urban Townships in an effort to reduce townships' reliance on property taxes. He also said he wants to lower taxes for senior citizens.
Ditzler, however, did not specify how he would accomplish either of those goals. He did talk about working on revenue-sharing opportunities with the city of Youngstown if he is re-elected. Ditzler also said he would consider creating a fire district with other area townships in order to save money.
Chinchic did not attend interviews with The Vindicator.
Criticism: Williams was not the only candidate to criticize the current trustees. Oles also said she feels that, "nothing [Groat] has done will keep my children in this community." She said that if elected, she would work for planned development on portions of Mahoning Avenue, state Route 46, and Victoria Road.
The trustees should consider building facilities such as senior centers and discount department stores in those areas, Oles said.
Edwards, the current chairman of the township zoning commission, said he believes there is little the trustees could do to control development. He noted that if an area is zoned to allow a car wash, the trustees can't prevent a developer from constructing a car wash on that site.
Yet Edwards also said that if elected, he would try and control future development in the township through zoning. He added that he wants to create an evaluation process for all township employees, and that he feels home rule is "mandated."
Romeo, Porter, and Johnson did not attend the candidate interviews.