MAHONING COUNTY Lack of interest in board spots is letdown to judge

The court has received fewer than a dozen applications so far.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Judge Timothy P. Maloney rubs his chin, then leans back in his chair and exhales a disappointed sigh.
"I'm really very surprised," he said, looking over a list of people who've taken out applications to be appointed to various boards, trusts and commissions in the county. "That's not a lot of applicants. I don't know what to make of it."
Judge Maloney, who presides over Mahoning County Probate Court, announced last month that he would accept applications from people who are interested in the court-appointed positions, rather than simply choosing people himself.
"I believe it is important to assure a participatory rather than an exclusionary form of government," he said at the time. "This is the best way I could think of to develop new candidates."
With one week to go before the application deadline, the judge said he's disappointed at the somewhat cool reaction he's gotten.
The probate court appoints people to serve on the Mill Creek MetroParks board, Mill Creek Park Foundation, J. Ford Crandall Foundation, the county Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, Youngstown Metropolitan Housing Authority, the James McFarlin Trust, the Facilities Review Board and guardianship programs.
Most of the positions are unpaid, although the Crandall and McFarlin trusts may involve fees paid through the court.
Discouragement
The judge had hoped that by opening the appointment process to anyone who is interested in serving, rather than simply appointing people he thinks would serve well, he would get a better cross-section of people for the positions.
He prepared 300 applications, but so far, fewer than 100 have been taken out and fewer than a dozen have been returned.
"With all the appointments I have to make, I wouldn't say 92 is very exciting," he said. That's how many applications had been picked up as of Tuesday.
"I'm really kind of disappointed," Judge Maloney said.
The judge said he plans to use the applications to fill about a dozen vacancies, then keep them on file to fill future ones.
The applications still are available and must be returned to the court by Friday.
The judge said he started using the application process about seven years ago when there was a vacancy on the Mill Creek MetroParks board. That appointment alone lured 72 people to take out applications, about half of which were returned.
The judge said he hasn't yet reviewed the applications that have been returned this time, but said most of them probably are interested in one of the paying positions.
"I hope not, but that's probably the case," he said.
Applicants are required to pay $15 to cover the cost of a background check by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.
Any applicant who has not been an Ohio resident for at least five years must also submit to an FBI background check, at an additional cost of $24.
Once submitted, all of the applications will be subject to a one-month public comment period during which they can be reviewed and any objections or concerns can be filed in writing.
bjackson@vindy.com