Mahoning and Trumbull winners face challenges

For all the talk of change that is heard every election season, voters in Mahoning and Trumbull counties didn't apparently see a pressing need for a new direction on their boards of county commissioners.
In Mahoning County, incumbent David Ludt, 66, crushed his challenger, George M. McKelvey, 56, the former Youngstown mayor, in the race for the Democratic nomination.
In Trumbull County, five candidates were seeking the Democratic nomination for a seat being vacated by the incumbent, James Tsagaris, who decided not to seek re-election. Eight years ago, Tsagaris rode the Trumbull County Democratic Party nomination to an upset victory over incumbent Art Magee.
Tuesday, Frank Fuda, 60, a veteran Niles councilman, rode the county party's endorsement to a victory in a five-man race, fending off a strong challenge by a political newcomer, Mauro Cantalamessa, 28.
Now that the incumbent has retained his seat in Mahoning County and the party's candidate has kept Tsagaris' seat, the question that must be asked is what Ludt and Fuda are going to do differently.
Status quo won't do
While the electorate showed little appetite for change, there is no question that changes in operations are going to have to be made in both counties. Neither county can afford the status quo.
As we said in this space last Sunday, Ludt ran an uninspired campaign that reflected his uninspired leadership in recent years. As the senior commissioner -- he was elected the same year as Tsagaris, running as an outsider against incumbent Ed Reese -- Ludt should have been the commissioner pushing to resolve chronic problems at the county jail, the obvious need to consolidate 911 services and a move of Jobs and Family Services offices into Oakhill Renaissance Place.
In each case, a veteran commissioner taking charge could have made a difference. That county voters didn't hold Ludt to a higher standard is disheartening. But if Ludt doesn't hold himself to a higher standard over the next four years, it will be a term wasted -- and we can't think Ludt wants that. He's capable of being a better commissioner; he showed hints of that during his first four years in office.
Ludt will face a Jamael Tito Brown, running as an independent, in November.
A good start
In Trumbull County, one thing that cannot be questioned is Fuda's desire for the job. One of the reasons he received the party's nomination and the electorate's support Tuesday was the amount of time he put into his campaign.
Fuda began campaigning 18 months ago, after retiring as a teacher in Cleveland, and before Tsagaris announced that he would not seek re-election.
That kind of willingness to put in the time will serve Fuda well, if he's elected in November. Republican Niki Frenchko was unopposed in her party's primary.
While Fuda doesn't have as deep a background in government finance as some of his primary opponents, he has 16 years of experience as a Niles councilman and he points to a record of being able to get things done in his ward and city.
There are no easy elective offices in Mahoning and Trumbull counties these days, at least not for officeholders who want to earn their pay.
The counties are operating under constant pressure to reduce expenses, and that pressure will only get stronger with three major employers -- Delphi Packard, General Motors at Lordstown and Forum Health -- facing their own challenges.
At the same time, both counties must do a better job of preserving and improving infrastructure and attracting new industry.
The voters spoke Tuesday. It will be up to the winning candidates to respond to their needs.