Campbell water plant issue gets on the November ballot

A citizen initiative to stop Campbell from leasing or selling its water treatment plant is officially on the November ballot.

When it was submitted Aug. 23 to the Mahoning County Board of Elections by city Finance Director John Leskovyansky Jr., the board didn’t accept it. That’s because it was filed at 4:31 p.m., 31 minutes after the state-imposed 4 p.m. deadline to file or certify petitions for the Nov. 6 ballot.

But after consulting with the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office and the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office, the elections board ruled today that the initiative was certified by Leskovyansky on Aug. 22.

Even though it was filed late with the board, the finance director’s certification is all that’s required to place it on the ballot, said Thomas McCabe, the elections board director.

The board’s decision drew cheers from about a dozen Campbell residents at the meeting.

“I’m glad someone is doing what’s right, and not in opposition to the law,” said Flora Hodge, one of the residents who organized the petition drive who attended today’s meeting. “I’m very pleased because we followed the law and did what was right.”