DOWN AND OUSTED Voters reject taxes and incumbents

Bond issues to build new schools passed in Austintown and Warren.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning Valley voters were in no mood to pass new school tax issues -- and they also had a bit of anti-incumbent fever.
Every new school levy in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties was rejected by voters Tuesday.
Although the Bristol school district is in fiscal emergency and the Weathersfield school district is under fiscal watch, residents there overwhelmingly voted down emergency levies.
Bond issues in Austintown and Warren, and a replacement levy in the Mathews school district that decreased the levy's millage amount, received voter approval Tuesday.
The Austintown bond issue allows the district to borrow $26 million to build a new school to replace Austintown Middle School. That issue passed by 52 votes on its third time in front of voters and is subject to a recount.
Warren voters approved a bond issue with 57 percent support to raise the required 19 percent local match to build new schools. The Ohio School Facilities Commission will provide the remaining 81 percent for the $170 million project.
Renewals pass
The only school tax levies to pass in the Valley were for renewals. But that wasn't across the board. Voters in the Joseph Badger school district rejected a renewal tax levy.
Also, Trumbull County voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to indefinitely continue a half-percent sales tax that the county commissioners imposed earlier this year.
Voters in Columbiana County agreed to pay a 50-cent monthly surcharge on their telephone bills to fund a modernized emergency 911 system. Mahoning County voters approved a 0.85-mill mental health replacement levy.
A couple of local political heavyweights were elected Tuesday to new positions. Trumbull County Commissioner Michael O'Brien won a three-person race for Warren mayor while Youngstown Councilman James E. Fortune Sr. was elected council president.
Incumbents lose
It wasn't such a good night for several incumbents.
Craig Beach Mayor Camille C. Gaia, Sebring Mayor Carl R. Mort Jr., and Struthers council President Danny Thomas Jr. were among the more well-known politicians to lose their elections Tuesday in Mahoning County.
Cortland Mayor Melissa Long and Lordstown Mayor Arno A. Hill, who both had their eyes on the county commissioner's office next year, failed to win re-election Tuesday in Trumbull County. Also rejected by voters in Trumbull County were Weathersfield Trustee James W. Price, Champion Trustee Nancy L. Shafer and Liberty Trustee Patrick F. Durina.
Jane A. Harris and Terry A. Swauger, incumbent school board members in Girard and Niles, respectively, finished last in four-person races for three school board seats in their communities. Swauger finished out of the money by two votes; Harris was about 300 votes behind the third-place finisher.
In the Salem school board race, voters kicked out the three incumbents running for re-election. The school treasurer's office is the subject of a criminal investigation from the tenure of former Treasurer Ted Cougras. Salem school voters also rejected a new emergency levy for the district by a nearly 3-to-1 margin.
Pennsylvania
In Mercer County, Democrats regained control of the commissioner's office. Voters in Hermitage, Pa., rejected one incumbent for city commissioner.
Voters in Lawrence County ousted county Commissioner Brian Burick, and for the first time in nearly 25 years, two Republicans were elected to serve as county commissioners. Also, Republican Wayne Alexander beat Democrat Richard DeBlasio for the open mayoral seat in New Castle, Pa.
skolnick@vindy.com