Melfi will have company in mayoral election

The mayor says he will run on his accomplishments amid a poor economy.
& lt;a href=mailto:yovich@vindy.com & gt;By TIM YOVICH & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- Look for a crowd in the Democrat primary for mayor.
Although Mayor James J. Melfi is the only candidate to file with the Trumbull County Board of Elections for the May election, he could end up facing as many as four challengers.
Former mayor Vincent Schuyler has taken out petitions and said he will "probably run."
Council President Louis J. Adovasio has also taken out petitions and says he's in the race.
Also circulating petitions is Joseph Shelby, a carpenter who has been active in the Citizens Committee on Property Research, which wants to save the lower Girard Lake dam and use the lakes as a water source.
Joseph Krizancic, former council president known as Mickey, also is interested.
Top concern
Schuyler served as mayor from 1992 through 1999 and was a school board member from 1976 through 1984. He's a Girard substitute school teacher.
His main concern is the preservation of the lower and upper Girard lakes and their development.
The primary plank of his platform will be repairing the aged dam and construction of a water treatment plant for the sale of water from the lakes.
"Development [of the lakes] is the future of Girard," Schuyler said.
The issues
Melfi, who is seeking a second four-year term, will run on his accomplishments despite inheriting a city with fund deficits that resulted in the community's being placed under a state-imposed fiscal emergency.
He wants to talk about the issues.
Melfi, who favors demolishing the dam as recommended by the Army Corps of Engineers, points to Adovasio, who voted to buy the lakes that don't provide the city with any revenue.
That purchase was cited by the state auditor's office as one of three reasons the city got itself in fiscal crisis. The others were the costs of burying utility lines along State Street and building a justice center.
Melfi pointed out that as a councilman, Adovasio voted for all three projects and, as mayor, Schuyler approved them.
Adovasio's response
Adovasio says he voted for the underground lines because the city shouldn't be paying for the project since State Street is a U.S. route and the work was done to improve safety.
He contends the cost of buying the lakes was to be paid out of the water fund rather than the general fund.
Melfi said he has shown his management ability by maintaining services without a tax increase despite a poor economy.
Adovasio says Melfi was told the city didn't have any money but continued to spend anyway.
The mayor says he has stopped nepotism, reduced legal fees by $100,000 annually and reduced the deficit that accumulated in the Schuyler administration.
In addition, Melfi said, he stopped private companies from dumping unknown waste into the sewage treatment plant.
Adovasio says besides saving the lakes, he wants to replace water and sewer lines and there should be better communications between the mayor's office and council.
& lt;a href=mailto:yovich@vindy.com & gt;yovich@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;