Council races in Youngstown give voters a chance to judge

There's no doubt that members of Youngstown City Council have an important role to play in the city's revival. Thus the question for voters in the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th and 7th wards: Who is best prepared to not only represent you, but to articulate a vision for the city?
There are no contested races in the 3rd and 4th wards.
After carefully evaluating the candidates who appeared before The Vindicator's editorial board for endorsement interviews and after considering their written answers to questions posed by the newspaper, we make the following endorsements:
1st Ward, Annie Gillam; 2nd, Jacqueline Adair; 5th, Paul Drennen; 6th, Paul Pancoe, who has held the seat since October 2004; and in the 7th, Mark Memmer, who is completing his first four-year term.
Below is a ward-by-ward evaluation of the council contests.
1st Ward
Given our disdain for nepotism in government, Annie Gillam's presence on the ballot caused us some consternation. She is the wife of Councilman Artis Gillam, who is being term-limited out of office. We were expecting a large field of candidates, but unfortunately the primary attracted only two.
Annie Gillam is competing with Michael Write, president of the Youngstown Board of Education. We were not impressed with Write's presentation.
Serving as her husband's council aide for several years and being involved in his work as a city lawmaker has given Gillam insight into the ward that should stand her in good stead if she is elected.
While both candidates were able to talk extensively about the problems confronting the ward, foremost of which is crime, we found ourselves taken with Gillam's straight talk about the city.
2nd Ward
Of the three candidates who met with Vindicator writers, two got our attention: Jacqueline Adair and DeMaine J. Kitchen.
Adair, a long-time community activist and educator in the city, struck us as someone who would speak her mind as a lawmaker.
Kitchen is politically aligned with the mayor, having worked in his election campaign last year. But he insists he would not be a rubberstamp for the administration.
The third candidate who sought our endorsement is George E. Mauzy, a well-intentioned individual who believes the "common people" should have a voice in government.
To us, Adair would be most willing to take on the administration, if need be, on issues such as crime. Indeed, she is critical of the mayor and his police chief, Jimmy Hughes, for not reacting with greater urgency to complaints from residents about drug activity in the neighborhoods.
5th Ward
Paul Drennen is a 29-year-old graduate of Youngstown State University who secured a job in the area and brought a house on Normandy Drive. He is the kind of young professional Youngstown must persuade to stay.
As a lawmaker, Drennen would bring a fresh perspective to City Council and would also attract a new constituency to Youngstown's revitalization effort.
Also seeking the Democratic Party nomination is former Mahoning County Commissioner John Palermo, who has been out of office for 14 years after having served in the courthouse for 24.
While Palermo expresses a deep desire to be a part of the city's revival, we believe the ward would be best served by someone with a fresh political perspective.
6th Ward
Of all the council races, this one offers voters a choice between two good, knowledgeable and personable candidates. Incumbent Paul Pancoe is being challenged by Janet Tarpley, a political newcomer.
Both strongly embrace the administration's zero-tolerance crime initiative and agree that the exodus of residents is the result of their being tired of living in fear.
While Pancoe and Tarpley believe that police saturation must be sustained for long periods of time, the challenger goes a step further and proposes the establishment of a mobile police substation, similar to the mobile health clinics maintained by the hospitals.
The substation could be moved into the high-crime areas, she says.
While we were impressed with Tarpley's ability to clearly articulate what needs to be done in the ward to stop the loss of residents, the incumbent's record is such that he has earned the opportunity to serve a full term.
7th Ward
When a former president of council, ward councilman and unsuccessful candidate for mayor decides to make another bid for the seat he once held, voters must ask if there's anything compelling about his candidacy. We could not find much with regard to John Swierz's bid to oust Councilman Mark Memmer.
Memmer has been in office since January 2004 and has established himself as a leader in the legislature. He has a strong understanding of the workings of council and has dedicated himself to ensuring that the ward does not suffer through neglect by City Hall.