Committee to meet, select interim auditor

The Democratic party chairman asked Dan Sferra if his name should be on the printed ballot.
By TIM YOVICH
Vindicator Trumbull Staff
WARREN -- Dan Sferra says his name will be on the ballot tonight when the Trumbull County Democratic Party central committee meets to pick an interim county auditor.
"I might as well see it through," Sferra said Monday.
His comments come in the wake of widespread talk that the former Warren mayor and state representative planned to drop out of the race, leaving it wide open to Adrian Biviano, the county's chief deputy auditor.
The post became vacant in mid-December when Auditor David Hines resigned. County commissioners picked Linda Sypert, county information services director, as acting interim auditor until the party precinct committee men and women meet.
Rumors circulated
Talk of Sferra's bowing out circulated at a Saturday brunch in support of Biviano at Ciminero's Banquet Centre in Niles, said Nick Melfi, a member of the party's executive committee. Melfi said Monday that he hadn't talked to Sferra since the Biviano brunch.
The talk spilled over Monday into the county administration building.
"That's not correct," Sferra said of the rumor.
"I've heard it too," Christ Michelakis, county Democratic party chairman, said.
Michelakis said he contacted Sferra to determine if the ballots should be printed with Sferra's name on them.
The central committee will meet at 6 p.m. at DiVieste's Banquet Hall in Warren.
Michelakis said both Sferra's and Biviano's names will appear on the ballot, along with space for nominations from the floor.
Will not accept bid
Sypert said she won't accept a nomination from the floor, noting she'll attend the meeting so she can decline any nomination.
"I'm not a political person," Sypert said, noting she isn't trained to become auditor and doesn't want to leave her current position.
"I like it where I am," she said.
Sypert said she attempted to turn down the job of acting interim auditor.
Two of three county commissioners -- James Tsagaris and Dan Polivka -- have received criticism for not naming Biviano as acting interim auditor to assure a smooth transition.
yovich@vindy.com