The McKelvey years

Eight years doing just about anything every day can produce occasional moments of quirky behavior. Perhaps the most amazing thing about George McKelvey's eight years as mayor of Youngstown was that he didn't go off the deep end a bit more often than he did.
McKelvey is a passionate man when it comes to his city and that passion led to an outburst from time to time -- often at this paper and writers for it. But we'll take it as a measure of the man that even with only one business day left as mayor, he took time to call an editor to marvel at a comment by Mahoning Commissioner Anthony Traficanti on the Louie Free radio show that George Tablack, the county's CFO, had "found" $10 million for the county. How, the mayor wondered, had $10 million been lost between the time Tablack left in July and returned in December?
Why, he asked, didn't Tablack tell the county about the money before he left for Florida, so that in the meantime criminals might not have been released from the county's understaffed jail to prey on Youngstown's citizenry?
A prettier picture
There is little question that when McKelvey walked out of City Hall on his last day as mayor, he trod streets that were more attractive than when he arrived. We did not always agree with his initiatives -- the millions committed to a convocation center could have been better spent -- but the Chevrolet Centre is a reality, it is part of his legacy and it is in the best interests of all that it be a success.
McKelvey chose not to do an exit interview, which is his privilege. He said he would be happy to see his record stand on its own.
Fair enough. Everyone today and in years to come can make his or her own evaluation of the Mc-Kelvey years. History will likely show that Youngstown has had better mayors and worse -- but none more passionate, right up to his last day in office.