Four strong candidates vie for three Niles council seats
Niles is a city in transition.
A recurring comment by candidates in the race for three council-at-large seats was that the city's population is aging, and younger residents are leaving. And when the homes of parents and grandparents go on the market, they are often being converted into rental housing.
One candidate estimated that 40 percent of the city's housing stock is in single-family and duplex rental units.
A city with the size and demographics of Niles must come to terms with such changes. Property owners have a right to rent their property in accordance with zoning restrictions, and renters have a right to live in the best housing they can afford.
But a city must also be vigilant when it comes to, as incumbent Stephen G. Papalas put it, cars on blocks, broken windows, rowdyism and kids running amok.
The candidates
Papalas, 55, is a teacher at Niles McKinley High School and has been on city council since 1984, first as a 2nd Ward councilman and since 1997 at-large.
Michael Lastic, 63, is a retired teacher, coach and principal from Niles schools and has been on city council since 1999, first as a 2nd Ward councilman and as an at-large councilman since 2003.
Thomas A. Scarnecchia, 65, is a retired businessman and former city safety director. He has been a councilman at-large since 1996.
Those are the incumbents.
The fourth candidate, Reggie Giancola, 51, is also an experienced councilman, having served as the 3rd Ward's representative for 14 years. Giancola works as a forklift operator for Trinity Industries. He ran in an at-large council race two years ago, after he moved to a new house out of his ward, and lost in a close race.
Whatever its transition challenges might be, Niles is a fortunate city in that its finances are solid, it has a strong record of providing public service and it has three strong candidates for the three at-large seats.
All appeared for interviews with Vindicator editors and all answered the questions put to them intelligently and with little hesitation.
Difficult choice
Limiting our endorsement to three of the four was not easy.
Papalas and Lastic both talked enthusiastically about the need to protect the assets that the city has and to work to develop what little land that is left in the city for development.
Both earned out endorsement not only on the basis of the positions they espoused, but for their candor in acknowledging that each of them intends to run for mayor whenever the long-time incumbent, Ralph Infante, steps aside.
Niles voters can be sure that both Papalas and Lastic, with their eyes on the bigger prize, will be among the hardest working men on council.
The choice between Scarnecchia and Giancola was particularly difficult. We have endorsed Scarnecchia in the past and his service to the city has been exemplary. However, in this election, Giancola impressed us as the slightly stronger choice.
He noted that he was chairman or a member of every committee of council during his 3rd Ward service and said he was eager to get back to work on a list of improvement projects begun during that time.
For the Democratic nomination for Niles council at-large in the May 8 primary, we endorse Papalas, Lastic and Giancola.