Saturday, October 29, 2005
If Youngstown is to have any chance of rebuilding, it needs a mayor who is capable of looking to the future, one who is not tied to policies, politics and philosophies of the past. It needs a mayor who has been successful in both the private and public arenas. It needs someone who has wrestled with ideas about what can be done to rebuild this city.
The only candidate of the six running in this election who fits that description is Jay Williams.
Though Williams is only 34 years old, he is the only candidate who has had success in both the business and public service areas. He was a vice president of First Place Bank before resigning in October 2000 to become Youngstown's director of Community Development. He had to resign that position to run for public office.
It impresses us that Williams had the courage of his convictions to leave his job and run for this office as an independent. That required a financial sacrifice by Williams and his wife that few people would be willing to make. It also shows that Williams is confident in his own abilities. Even if he were to lose the race, he's counting on his education and intelligence to enable him to find a new job.
Youngstown's mayor is paid well at $101,387; Youngstown voters should expect the person taking that job to have a track record that would indicate the new mayor is not being grossly overpaid.
The other factor in Williams' employment history that makes us believe he is the best candidate for the job is his role in the development of the Youngstown 2010 citywide plan.
He was on the planning team for the project, moderated the public forums that were held and would be in the best position as mayor to implement its vision.
The competition
This is a six-person race, but Williams' only viable competition is Robert F. Hagan, a 56-year-old state senator and former state representative. He is articulate, well-read and has a valuable political name and a history as a rock-solid liberal.
We understand that Robert Korchnak, 41, the Republican nominee, would not be inclined to agree that he is destined to be among the also-rans. The three other independents in the race, Maggy Lorenzi, 53; Joe Louis Teague, 63, and Brendan J. Gilmartin, 45, all claim to be viable candidates. They're not.
There's a spark in each of them. Lorenzi seems to have memorized the city charter. Korchnak is, after all, a major-party candidate. Gilmartin is a faithful son, pursuing a political grudge against Hagan (who beat Gilmartin's father in a state representative race) with admirable focus. Teague is a character about town (who, Lorenzi told us, "actually makes a lot of sense if you can understand him"). But if you put them all together, they wouldn't be able to present a plan for improving Youngstown.
Hagan can articulate a plan, but it is based on a political philosophy that seems to say that if the lives of city employees are better, the lives of city residents will be elevated. His argument for universal health care or increasing the minimum wage belong on the Columbus stage, not Youngstown's.
Youngstown can probably survive under Hagan, but its chances of prospering would be slim.
Williams, however, would give the city a new face. New ideas. His election would send a message to politicians in Columbus and Washington and to people everywhere that Youngstown is ready for change.