Commissioner proposal makes waves

Mayoral candidates debate whether to change water commissioner's appointment.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Councilman Michael Rapovy, a Youngstown mayoral candidate, wants to take politics out of the water department.
Rapovy, D-5th, said he is proposing the city charter review commission place legislation on the November ballot to make the water commissioner a classified civil service commission job. The water commissioner is hired at the discretion of the mayor.
"Our water department is a multimillion-dollar business, and should be free of all political pressures," Rapovy said. "We need to take the political patronage out of it. It's a gimme-job for every new mayor. It's a political appointment, and it shouldn't be."
Water Commissioner Charles Sammarone isn't opposed to the idea but wants to make sure future water commissioners aren't appointed based solely on how high they score on a civil service test.
Sammarone, a longtime city council president, left that job in 2002 to serve as Mayor George M. McKelvey's water commissioner. Sammarone is running in the Democratic primary in May for council president. McKelvey's term as mayor ends this year, and he cannot run for re-election because of the city's term limits law.
Differing views
Rapovy said Sammarone and Gary Thornton, Sammarone's predecessor as commissioner, did good jobs.
"But we need to do things differently," Rapovy said.
Rapovy said he would want the city's civil service commission to come up with criteria and qualifications for the water commissioner.
William Carter, the charter review commission's chairman, said the group automatically disbanded Dec. 31. But it could be called back by the mayor to look at other charter changes.
Council President James Fortune Sr., another Democratic mayoral candidate, said Rapovy's idea has merit.
"It's a strong idea and we need to talk about it," he said. "We don't want to act hastily. It's a good idea, but we need to look at it before we make any decisions."
Police Chief Bob Bush, also running in the Democratic mayoral primary, doesn't like Rapovy's proposal.
"In my administration, water commissioner is not going to be a political hack," he said. "It will be someone who will properly run the department. I would want it maintained as a mayoral appointment. Being mayor is all about leadership, and putting someone in there who's credible."
The other Democratic mayoral candidates are state Rep. Sylvester D. Patton Jr., former council President John Swierz, state Sen. Robert F. Hagan, and William Flickinger, who lost a bid last year for Mahoning County commissioner.