Sciortino lands post as auditor

The new auditor captured a majority of votes in a six-person race.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Most other candidates took not-so-veiled shots at Michael V. Sciortino and his close friendship with and endorsement by the chairwoman of the Mahoning County Democratic Party.
Several of them also told the 213 Democratic precinct committee members making a political appointment that politics had no place in appointing the county auditor.
Despite the criticism, Sciortino easily emerged from the six-person field seeking the appointment. He begins the job today and will be sworn in shortly. He also resigns today as the county elections board director.
Sciortino, of Austintown, captured a majority of the votes Wednesday. Of the 213 precinct committee members voting, 123 selected Sciortino. There are 289 precinct committee members in all, but 76 didn't attend Wednesday's meeting at the ITAM Post 3 on South Meridian Road.
Other candidates said they were concerned with comments Lisa Antonini, leader of local Democrats, made about Sciortino in The Vindicator. In Saturday's edition, Antonini said that she was supporting Sciortino and that, "We've been best friends for years." On Wednesday, Antonini said that she was proud of her endorsement and that Sciortino won.
Plans to run
Struthers Councilman Dan Yemma, who wasn't selected and plans to run in the 2006 Democratic primary for auditor, said he found it "somewhat disappointing there's been an openly expressed endorsement" of Sciortino. The comment received some applause from precinct committee members.
Michael Fortine of Canfield, the only certified public accountant to run for the appointment, was more blunt, saying the financially troubled county shouldn't have a political appointee in a position as important as auditor.
"This is not time for political pay back," he said. "It's not a time to give a years-of-service award."
Sciortino said he got the job because he outworked the other candidates during the past month. Sciortino said he had 14 meetings with groups of precinct committee members, held about six house parties for them, and met with several of them individually.
"I didn't know 123 people overnight," he said. "I worked it."
The knock against Sciortino from his opponents is he has no accounting experience. But Sciortino said his government experience and educational background more than make up for that.
Sciortino has a master's degree in public administration and a law degree. He served as assistant county administrator from 1993 to 1996 before becoming the elections board deputy director from 1996 to 1999. Sciortino was named board director in 1999, and said that during his seven years in that post, he's cut the department's annual budget by about 25 percent.
During his rousing acceptance speech, Sciortino passionately shouted that he would unite people around him whether they liked it or not.
"I will force you to work together, and we'll get the job done," he said.
Big raise
Sciortino's annual salary will go from $62,000 as elections board director to $79,745 as auditor. He replaces George Tablack, who held the job for 181/2 years. Tablack quit, effective July 31, to become the chief financial officer for the clerk's office of Palm Beach County, Fla., a post that pays $120,000 annually.
Sciortino will run next year for a full four-year term as auditor, as will some of the five opponents he defeated Wednesday.
With Sciortino's resignation, the elections board will make some changes and will start a discussion on those changes at its 5 p.m. meeting today.
Deputy Director Thomas McCabe, a Republican, is interested in becoming director. Sciortino said McCabe, who earns $58,000 annually as deputy director, is the best choice for the post.
If McCabe becomes director, board Chairman Mark Munroe, also a Republican, would have to relinquish his chairmanship to either Robert Wasko or Michael Morley, the two Democrats on the four-man board. State law requires the director and chairman of county election boards to be from different political parties.
Antonini, who earns $50,502 annually as the administrative assistant in the county treasurer's office, said she has been asked by some Democrats to be the election board's deputy director, but she hasn't made a final decision.
It is up to Antonini to recommend a Democrat to serve as director or deputy director -- depending on what the board does with McCabe -- with the elections board voting on that recommendation.