Cafaro will give up seniors advisory post

The soon-to-be state senator expects to continue to work on behalf of senior citizens.
WARREN -- Capri Cafaro of Liberty, selected this week to fill Ohio Attorney General-elect Marc Dann's Ohio Senate seat, says she will be stepping down from her volunteer position on the Trumbull County Seniors Advisory Council.
Cafaro, 28, said the reason is to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest between the work of the advisory council and her position as a state legislator. She noted that the council deals with issues related to Medicaid and others issues that she would also be dealing with in Columbus.
As state senator from the 32nd District, she will represent all of Trumbull and Ashtabula counties.
"I'm a true believer in transparency," she said of potential conflicts of interest. She added that there is apparently no legal obligation for her to step down from the advisory council and she hopes to continue to be an advocate for senior citizens in the Senate.
Committee appointment
She said there is a "high likelihood" she will be appointed to the Health, Human Services and Aging Committee so that she can put her background in senior citizens issues to work. Her appointment to the Senate will be for the final two years of Dann's term.
Cafaro said she has been a full-time volunteer with the Lorain County Office on Aging during much of this year and campaigned on behalf of the Trumbull County seniors levy in 2005.
She said she was impressed with the job her fellow advisory council members had done in the year since voters approved the seniors levy and looks forward to services being provided with the money.
Not surprised
Jack O'Connell, chairman of the Seniors Advisory Council, said he had not heard from Cafaro yet but suspected she would leave the advisory council. He said she had attended two or three meetings since her selection by county commissioners in August. O'Connell said the advisory council hopes to begin offering services with the money in most areas by Jan. 1.
Only two of the three county commissioners approved her appointment to the seniors position with Commissioner Paul Heltzel voting no on the basis that it was his turn to fill the next vacancy on the advisory council, and because of the influence of her powerful family.
Cafaro is the daughter of J.J. Cafaro, executive vice president of the Cafaro Company of Youngstown.
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