TRUMBULL COUNTY Political watchdogs convene

The group plans to meet again in July.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL BUREAU
HOWLAND -- Going beyond talk will be the greatest challenge for the Trumbull County Citizens Action League, the dozen or so people who showed up for the group's first meeting agreed.
"This is not about vendetta," said Phil Johnson of Cortland. "This is about changing the county for the better."
At Wednesday's meeting, convened by Robert Carr, a Warren businessman, citizens from across the county discussed the media, shared theories about local corruption and wondered how it could be cleaned up.
"I'd like to see what happened in Mahoning County happen in Trumbull County and people go to jail if need be," Carr said.
He said he had a personal brush with what he called suspicious doings. In May, his company, Benefit Management Services of Ohio, lost a county worker's compensation contract to a Youngstown firm.
Citizens at the meeting raised questions about the propriety of annexation and dealings regarding Warren Recycling Co. and Cafaro Field behind Eastwood Mall in Niles.
The entire meeting was tape-recorded by Patricia Leon-Games, former Warren city treasurer, for "a group in the city of Warren."
She didn't say what group.
'Affidavit of integrity'
As envisioned by Carr, the Trumbull County Citizens Action League will be a nonpartisan watchdog over local politics.
"We need to hold politicians accountable," he said.
Carr said the group will endorse political candidates. As a condition of endorsement, however, candidates must sign an "affidavit of integrity" and agree to resign if they are ever indicted or convicted of a serious crime.
Carr said he hopes the league can organize volunteers to attend public meetings and gather information about possible wrongdoing.
The group also needs to engage a legal adviser and a communications official to handle newsletters and deal with the press.
No one at the first meeting volunteered.
Carr said a second meeting will be scheduled for next month.