YOUNGSTOWN Council weighs letting Dems fill 6th Ward seat

One councilman doesn't care if the seat remains empty until January.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Sentiment is leaning toward letting the Democratic Party fill the soon-to-be-open 6th Ward city council seat.
Several council members said Monday they favor having party precinct committee members fill the seat instead of leaving it vacant until January or naming a replacement itself.
Precinct committee members should fill the seat, even if it's just for a month, said Rufus Hudson, D-2nd.
Residents need somebody they can call with questions and concerns until Clarence Boles, the 6th Ward councilman-elect, takes office in January, Hudson said.
"I can't say they should go unrepresented," he said.
Boles has said he wants party precinct members to name him so he can get an early start.
James E. Fortune Sr., D-6th, is expected to be certified as the new council president Thursday morning and resign his 6th Ward seat.
He was elected to fill the unexpired term of council president. Fortune won the Democratic primary over incumbent John R. Swierz, who party precinct committee members appointed to the council president vacancy in 2002. Swierz got the post when Charles Sammarone resigned to take the job of city water commissioner.
Up to the party
A few other councilmen agree that the decision should be up to the party.
Time may be too short to name somebody, but the party should decide that, said Michael Rapovy, D-5th.
John A. Nittoli, D-7th, said he can't disagree with letting the party decide. Party precinct committee members put him in office, picking him to fill a 7th Ward vacancy.
"I couldn't vote against the way I came in, could I?" he asked with a laugh.
Lisa Antonini, the Mahoning Democratic Party chairwoman, said she prefers that 6th Ward residents have a council member, even just for a month.
Antonini said calling together the eight or nine 6th Ward precinct members wouldn't be hard. The meeting probably will be early in December, she said.
Naming Boles would make the most sense, though the process would be open to others, she said.
Artis Gillam Sr., D-1st, said he didn't care if the seat remained empty until January. Gillam, however, said party precinct members should make the selection if the seat is to be filled.
Richard Atkinson, R-3rd, said he hasn't thought about the matter.
Meeting cancellation
He was bothered more by Fortune's request last week to cancel a regularly scheduled council meeting set for Wednesday. Fortune requested that the meeting wait until the November vote was certified, which will make him council president.
A majority of council members, however, asked that the meeting be held and prevailed. Among them were Atkinson, Hudson, Nittoli and Ron Sefcik, D-4th.
Council already canceled a meeting a day after the election, as is tradition, and shouldn't cancel the upcoming session no matter the politics, Atkinson said. Council already will have to cancel its Dec. 3 meeting because several members will be traveling to a conference out of town, he said.
"We were elected to do the peoples' business," Atkinson said.
Fortune said he asked that the Wednesday meeting be canceled only because the certification date was so close. There would be more clarity by waiting until he was elevated and there was a decision on the open seat, he said.
rgsmith@vindy.com