COMMISSIONERS Candidates tout honesty, ethics

Candidates have raised county purchasing as a major issue.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
WARREN -- Honesty and ethics are critical in the Trumbull County commissioners' race, both candidates say.
They differ, however, about who has those attributes.
"I've proven my integrity," said James Tsagaris, a Democrat who has been county commissioner since 1999. "I've been honest, I've been fair, and I've done things for Trumbull County the right way."
Don Manning, his Republican challenger, thinks Tsagaris has shady associations and is being investigated by the FBI.
"I think it is an easy assumption to make, given the way politics is going in Trumbull County," he said.
Revelations about the amount of spending and questionable purchasing practices by the county's maintenance department bring into question how well the county commissioners are doing their jobs, Manning said.
"At the very least, you could say it is bad bookkeeping. Somebody should be minding the store," he said.
Listing accomplishments
Among the accomplishments of his first term in office, Tsagaris lists hiring Tony Carson Jr. as the county purchasing director.
In one year, Carson has saved the county about $500,000 by bidding out contracts that had never been put out for competitive bids in the past, he said.
Tsagaris said that if there has been any wrongdoing, it will be revealed through the Trumbull County prosecutor's investigation, prompted by a continuing series of stories begun by The Vindicator in early August.
The FBI and the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification also are looking into purchasing practices and other possible corruption in the county and Warren.
Criticism
Manning also has been critical of the lack of business at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, and questions whether Trumbull County's resources would be best used by pursuing an indoor motorsports facility proposed by Brant Motorsports, of Morgantown, W.Va., near the airport.
"If it was such a great project for Brant Motorsports to do, they would be able to find a way to pay for it. Period," Manning said.
"I'm not sure it is the best way to spend $250,000 [in public money] for 150 jobs."
Tsagaris said the race track is not a sure thing, but it's worth looking into.
He said that Manning has a negative attitude towards the Valley, contrasted to his own view that the future is just getting brighter.
"Everything is negative," Tsagaris said. "That's the Republican way."