Trustees Simon, Litch earn support of Liberty voters

After years of bemoaning the unattractive appearance of Belmont Avenue, Liberty Township's main thoroughfare, we are encouraged by the steps being taken to not only upgrade the infrastructure, but to make cosmetic changes that provide a good first impression.
Along with what is occurring on Belmont, the township is poised for major economic growth with the opening of the 7/11 interchange, the creation of the Community Improvement Corporation, the extension of water and sewer lines and the unprecedented housing boom.
By any measure, Liberty is on the right track.
Credit for this must go to the township trustees and Administrator Patrick J. Ungaro. An aggressive development strategy is essential for any community in the Mahoning Valley.
Two of the three trustees, Jack Simon and W. Gary Litch, are seeking re-election in November and have earned voter approval. Simon and Litch face six challengers, but of those only one, Anthony Gutierrez, accepted The Vindicator's invitation to attend an endorsement interview. The others took themselves out of consideration.
While Gutierrez, a self-employed general contractor, seems sincere about his desire to serve the community, we are uncomfortable with his willingness to make statements about the state of affairs of township government without considering the ramifications. We were particularly disturbed by his contention that there are only two police cruisers on the road per shift and that "very seldom" are there three.
Given that crime in the Mahoning Valley is no longer confined to the cities of Youngstown and Warren, Gutierrez's contention was cause for concern. We, therefore, asked the incumbents, Simon and Litch, to respond to the challenger's claim that police in the township "have no backup."
Performance audit
They not only disputed Gutierrez's claim, but Simon submitted copies of a state performance audit of the police department staffing levels and the patrol schedule that present a much more positive picture of law enforcement in the township.
With regard to patrols, the schedule shows three officers on duty for each turn. As for staffing levels, the audit shows Liberty with 23 sworn officers, compared with a peer average of 18. Comparisons were made with Howland, Franklin and Copley.
We aren't opposed to any elected official being forced to defend his tenure in office, but challengers have a responsibility to provide accurate information about important issues such as police protection.
Simon, who is seeking his third four-year term, and Litch, who is completing his first four years, believe that they, along with their colleague, Jodi Stoyak, and Ungaro have become a team that already has been successful in addressing some long-standing problems that have undermined the township's stability and growth.
Sidewalks along Belmont Avenue may seem insignificant in overall scheme of things, but along with the resurfacing of the road, have made the thoroughfare less grungy.
Other steps are being taken to clean up dilapidated structures and to find tenants for vacant buildings.
The problems confronting Liberty Township did not occur overnight and, therefore, will not be solved in a flash. What is needed is a long-term commitment to change, which we believe trustees Simon and Litch have made.
They have earned re-election.