YOUNGSTOWN City council makes changes in positions

The 6th ward councilman will announce in two weeks whether he will take the council president seat.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Follow closely: The council president becomes water commissioner. The 6th Ward councilman becomes council president. The South Side gets a new council member.
It's musical chairs time in city hall, with the above changes coming together with Wednesday's regular council meeting.
Councilman James E. Fortune Sr., D-6th, as the next in line, conducted the meeting because President Charles P. Sammarone has resigned.
Mayor George M. McKelvey has appointed Sammarone water commissioner. Gary Thornton, who had been water commissioner since 1988, has retired. He had been in ill health in recent years.
Sammarone, 59, a retired school administrator, will make $59,262.
Sammarone was a 5th Ward councilman for six years and council president for 12 years. He just started another four-year term, which would be his last because of term limits.
Sammarone said he didn't know a city administration post would be an option when he ran for re-election. Despite leaving early in the term, Sammarone said he will still be serving taxpayers in the water job.
"I'm still in city government, maybe even more productive," he said.
Less security: Sammarone said he expects to stay through McKelvey's term. But, he added, he leaves behind security by dropping a four-year term to serve at the mayor's pleasure.
McKelvey just started his second and final four-year term. He could leave before that, however, if he pursues an independent bid for Congress and wins, Sammarone said. Should a new mayor come in, all department heads would be in jeopardy, Sammarone said.
Sammarone said he took the job for the adventure.
"It's a challenge. You're always looking for a new challenge," he said. "It's an opportunity to learn the other side of government."
McKelvey wasn't available to comment Wednesday night.
Sammarone said he will spend a couple of months getting familiar with the office before making any changes. He hasn't seen any major deficiencies in the water department during his time on council, Sammarone said.
Keeping and expanding the customer base is an important and ongoing part of the job, he said.
Fortune's future: Sammarone's move leaves Fortune in line to become council president. He took pains to explain, however, that he hasn't resigned as the 6th Ward member. Fortune said he doesn't expect to turn down the job but wants to talk with McKelvey before deciding whether to take the spot.
Fortune said he would announce his decision at the next council meeting, scheduled for March 20. "I am considering [taking] it very strongly," he said.
It appears Democrats in the 6th Ward would pick the new council member, though Law Director Robert Bush Jr. said he wasn't sure how the process works. The process falls under state law, not the city charter, he said.
Sammarone said he thought party members have a certain amount of time to name a replacement. If they don't, council members make the pick.
The last vacancy was five years ago when Herman Hill left because of a theft in office conviction. He ran as an independent, so there was no party involved, and council selected Richard Atkinson, R-3rd.
Atkinson stands to become chairman of council's finance committee, replacing Fortune. Atkinson was put on the finance committee and made vice chairman in January. He got the job in a committee shakeup aimed at punishing John R. Swierz, D-7th, for his support of the now-defunct arena board.
rgsmith@vindy.com