Democratic candidates explain qualifications

One says commissioners were asleep when the purchasing scandal occurred.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- In this spring's contest for Trumbull County commissioner, the candidates are boasting of their political experience, and even the lack of it.
Mauro Cantalamessa is a 28-year-old manager of the family-owned Enzo's Restaurant and Banquet Facility in Warren. Much of his campaign appears to be focused on his being young and new to the political arena.
"I'm seeking this office mainly because I, like many other citizens of Trumbull County, am disenchanted with politics as usual in Trumbull County," he said. "First and foremost, I am a young, involved citizen that is committed to this area and wants to see this county work to its potential.
"As for political experience, I have none. On the other hand, I also don't bring any political bias, leanings or political baggage that can come with holding previous political office," he said.
Cantalamessa said he supported Commissioner Dan Polivka's stand last month on cutting the budget by about $1 million -- a move that was overruled by Commissioners Paul Heltzel and James Tsagaris.
Cantalamessa said he wasn't sure where the additional million could have been cut, but in general he said county government should downsize in the same way businesses have to. County government should be willing to downsize, regionalize and consolidate, he said.
He said he also respected Tsagaris' stand on cutting funding to the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport because of questions about the airport's finances, but agrees with Polivka and Heltzel that it is premature to withhold funding now.
Mayor touts experience
Girard Mayor James Melfi said the difference between him and every other candidate in the race is that he has 17 years of elected administrative experience vs. zero for all of the others. He has been mayor six years, Girard treasurer for 11.
Melfi, who has a bachelor's degree in economics from Youngstown State University, said he has demonstrated his commitment to running government like a business.
"What you get in me is an individual who has been in the middle of every debate that we've had in Trumbull County," Melfi said, citing issues such as water and sewer extensions and budgeting and staffing issues.
In the past four years, Melfi said, Girard has reduced its work force from 116 to 86 through layoff and attrition. In that time, the city has gone from having $27,000 in cash accounts to $1.45 million.
On Jan. 1, 2000, when he took office as mayor, the city's sewer fund was $250,000 in debt and is now $600,000 in the black. When the city went into fiscal emergency, in 2001, it was $2.7 million in debt overall. It is now $700,000 in debt, and Melfi said he expects the city to emerge from fiscal emergency by the end of this year.
Tough decisions
Melfi said that his management style has not been popular with everyone, but that he thinks it is important that the decisions he has made have worked. For example, when he cut police officers and eliminated the city's ambulance service, people said crime would run rampant and people would be dying on the streets. Neither of those things happened, he said.
Melfi said water and sewer services are among the most important issues for future county commissioners, and he cited his background in working with Liberty Township as an example of his experience and commitment in that area. Girard has partnered with Liberty Township to help the township get sewer lines and buy water from Girard, he said.
Frank Fuda of Niles received the Trumbull Democratic Party's endorsement early last month. A former school teacher in Cleveland for 34 years and Niles councilman for 16 years, Fuda started campaigning for commissioner 18 months ago, long before Tsagaris announced that he would not seek re-election and just after Fuda retired from teaching.
Cites accomplishments
Fuda said he thinks he has exceeded expectations in his role as Niles councilman, getting Mosquito Creek-related flooding problems and streets fixed. "They said it couldn't be done," Fuda said, referring to correcting flooding problems. "I fooled them."
He said he is running for commissioner because he cares about children and he cares about senior citizens' being charged huge amounts of money for new septic systems. He said small industries are the key to the area's economic future.
He said he's helped attract and protect jobs at Dinesol Plastic, Niles Manufacturing, MCI, West Corp., General Electric and Phillips Manufacturing.
He has received endorsements from the United Auto Workers CAP Council, United Steelworkers, the Trumbull County Federation of Labor AFL-CIO, the Security, Police & amp; Fire Professionals of America Local 64, and the Niles Democrats Club.
Regarding the local airport, Fuda said he thinks it is important for local officials to study what has made the Akron-Canton Regional Airport such a success and try to imitate that.
Criticizes politics
Robert Marchese of Warren is critical of politics of the commissioners' office. He said he has a respected name and the credibility after 14 years as city councilman to give citizens their money's worth in a public official.
Marchese said the county commissioners were asleep at the wheel when the county's purchasing scandal occurred between 1999 and 2002; the county's maintenance director, Tony Delmont, was convicted of helping cleaning supply companies bilk some $400,000 from Trumbull County.
"It shouldn't happen. I would notice if soap went up," Marchese said. "There's got to be flags in the system."
"It's always politics," he said. "We're always running for office. Let's work together. I don't care about politics. I've proven that. I'm not standing there holding a flag. I'd rather work."
He said commissioners have to drive the economic development process through acquiring grants and involving business leaders and township officials, in addition to city officials.
Marchese, executive director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Youngstown/Mahoning Valley in Youngstown, has two brothers who live in the rural parts of the county, and he said he believes they help him extend his good name beyond the city of Warren. His brother Peter lives in Farmdale, and his brother Dominic is a Johnston Township trustee who is married to county Recorder Diana Marchese.
Township-county ties
Marchese said one weakness of the current commissioners is that they have not gone to township trustees to ask what the commissioners can do to help them. For example, Marchese said Southington Township could be the next Poland Township because Southington sits along a major highway, U.S. Route 422, which could spark a development boom.
He said decisions about whether Southington decides to buy water from private developer Aqua Ohio or gets county water should be left up to the township with the help of county commissioners.
The other candidate, Ted Harrell, did not respond to a Vindicator request for information. The winner of the Democratic primary will face Republican Niki Frenchko in November.
runyan@vindy.com