MAHONING COUNTY Conviction forces member to resign

The prosecutor threatened legal action if the man didn't resign.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Even though others wanted him to stay, an Austintown man's recent conviction in federal court has forced him off the board of directors of Mahoning County's Soil and Water Conservation District.
Matthew Mesaros resigned last week after Prosecutor Paul Gains threatened a lawsuit to remove him. Sue Smith, SWCD business manager, said the agency will miss his leadership.
"The board definitely did not want to get rid of Matt," Smith said. "He brought so many good things to the board. He was a good leader."
But Gains said no matter how effective Mesaros was on the board, he had to go.
"He's a convicted felon," Gains said. "Under the law, convicted felons are prohibited from holding public office."
Mesaros, 36, was convicted in April of conspiracy to bribery. According to Vindicator files, the charge involved alleged payments of about $75,000 he and another man, Anthony Cervone of Austintown, made to former Warren building official James Lapmardo for their company, Innerscope Technical Services Inc. of Austintown, to get demolition work there. Both Mesaros and Cervone were placed on probation for three years.
Smith said the SWCD board consulted with its oversight commission in Columbus about whether Mesaros could remain on the board after his conviction. The commission said there was no legal precedent for him to step down and so, did not recommend his removal.
What happened
But when county commissioners found out about the situation, they sought guidance from the prosecutor's office, which serves as commissioners' legal counsel.
"He seemed to be doing a great job. Everyone I talked to loves the guy," said Commissioner David Ludt. "We just wanted to know for sure whether he was still eligible to serve. We did not want to expose the county to any unnecessary liability."
Commissioners fund the SWCD, even though they do not appoint members to its board, Ludt said.
By law, board members are elected by SWCD members to three-year terms, for which they are not paid. Smith said Mesaros had served one term and was in the first year of his second term. He had been board chairman for three years.
Gains said he was unaware of the situation until he was contacted by the commissioners' office. His staff looked into the matter and determined that Mesaros was no longer eligible to serve on the board.
"I was prepared to file something to remove him, but I didn't have to," Gains said.
Mesaros resigned in a brief letter dated June 3, citing "personal and professional obligations" as the reason.
What lawyer said
Atty. Damian Billak, who represents Mesaros, said Gains called him and threatened to file a lawsuit if Mesaros did not step down voluntarily. Billak said he and Mesaros briefly considered challenging the county's position because they weren't convinced that Mesaros is unqualified to serve.
"Matt is doing fine and moving on with his life," Billak said. "Instead of fighting this, he just opted to resign. He wants to get this all behind him."
Smith said Mesaros brought strong business sense to the board, and that his leadership will be missed.
"He helped make this a proactive board," Smith said. "He helped us run like a business."
The SWCD is located in Canfield and has five volunteer board members. It assists landowners and residents with natural resource conservation and development projects and helps implement agricultural and urban pollution abatement programs.
Smith said remaining board members can appoint someone to fill Mesaros' position until November, when a new member will be elected.
"We just want people to know that we are here for the residents of Mahoning County," Smith said. "That has been our objective from the very beginning."
bjackson@vindy.com