Taking charge for change Reinventing how government works? It’s up to the voters

There is ‘cynicism’ about local government, a YSU professor says.

By DAVID SKOLNICK

VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER

A five-member commission that typically meets once a month has run the Youngstown’s parks, playgrounds, pools, ballfields and recreation centers since 1935 with little oversight from city officials.

The commission members, who receive no pay for their work, say they do a good job and the system works. But others — most notably, Mayor Jay Williams — say they operate inefficiently and are in desperate need of oversight.

Once the commission gets its money from the city’s general fund, it’s essentially free to do whatever it wants with it. The members say they’ve been responsible while Williams and other city officials say the lack of oversight has led to a poor work environment, civil service violations, excessive employee costs and a slew of other problems.

In Campbell, the administration and city council want to negotiate the sale or lease of its 34-year-old water treatment plant, one of its very few assets. They say it’s a key step in getting the city out of state fiscal emergency status.

A group of citizens oppose the move saying the sale or lease would make a bad financial situation even worse.

In Liberty, township officials strongly support a plan to adopt a home-rule form of government, saying it will allow them to run their community in a more effective way.

Apparently residents agree because no one is speaking against the plan.

A home-rule proposal is also up for consideration in Sharon, Pa., being pushed by a commission whose members want to drastically change how the city operates.

It’s a plan top city leaders say goes too far.

There’s a proposal in Lawrence County, Pa., asking to create a commission to look at a possible change to its government.

Interest in the proposal appears to be minimal.

Come Tuesday, voters going to the polls in those portions of the Mahoning and Shenango valleys will decide if these changes, as the Sheryl Crow song goes, “would do them good.”

“As society evolves, we need to make changes,” Williams said. “The underlying fundamental principles are intact, but you need to change with the times.”

Proposals to change government aren’t new, but the Mahoning and Shenango valleys are seeing more of them on the general election ballot.

In 2002, there were five in the five-county region of Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana in Ohio and Mercer and Lawrence in Pennsylvania.

Tuesday, there are nine with the Youngstown changes making up four, two in Campbell and one each in Liberty, Sharon and Lawrence County. There were 16 — most of them in Campbell — on the November 2006 ballot.

Historically speaking, the framers of the U.S. Constitution would be “afraid” of changes to the government by a vote of citizens, said Paul Sracic, chairman of Youngstown State University’s political science department.

“The whole design of government was to not have citizens directly participate,” he said. “We govern through representatives and not direct democracy.”

But citizen initiatives are becoming more common, Sracic said, because “people are concerned with how the politicians govern. It comes from frustration over not getting things done. There is a cynicism about our local government officials.”

More in store next year

There’s more coming.

If the Regional Chamber has its way, there will be proposals on the November 2008 ballots in Mahoning and Trumbull to entirely revamp the government operations of the two counties.

If the chamber’s initiatives are approved, the current form of county government of three commissioners would change to a single county executive and a county legislature with representatives from the entire county.

“We can’t continue with the status quo,” said Tony Paglia, the chamber’s vice president for government affairs. “We need to move in a forward direction or we’ll remain stagnant.”

Dissatisfied voters

The increase in ballot proposals to change government in this area has a lot to do with a dissatisfied electorate and the struggling local economy, said Thomas Finnerty, associate director of YSU’s Center for Urban and Regional Studies.

These issues are amplified in Campbell, a financially troubled city that saw an attempt last year to have a private company operate and manage its water treatment plant and potentially buy it rejected by voters.

A citizens group wants to block legislation passed by city council that gives Mayor John Dill the authority to negotiate the sale or lease of the city’s water treatment plant and distribution system to any qualified public or private entity.

Dill, who is running for re-election, and Denise Sarigianopoulos, who is seeking the 3rd Ward council seat, agree that the referendum is a valuable tool to let citizens impact their government when they don’t agree with its actions.

“That’s democracy. That’s one good way people are able to contribute to their government,” Sarigianopoulos said.

“I think having the ability to do a referendum, if people feel slighted, is a good thing,” Dill said.

Accountability sought

In Youngstown, the mayor says people won’t see much of a change at the city’s parks and recreational facilities if they vote in favor of the proposed changes Tuesday. But the changes would provide more accountability over the park and recreation commission, Williams said.

“What was good in 1935 is not necessarily good for 2007,” he said. “ [The city fathers] were wise, but they didn’t have a crystal ball to see what would happen years later.”

Commission members say having autonomy permits them to do what’s best for the city.

Tony Caizza of Youngstown, a frequent golfer at the city-owned Henry Stambaugh Golf Course, said he’s leaning toward voting in favor of the amendments, primarily because he trusts Williams’ judgment.

“If the mayor’s not satisfied, I’m not satisfied,” he said.

John Cerny of Youngstown, another golfer, said as long as the course remains in good shape, he doesn’t care who has the ultimate power over the commission.

One Stambaugh golfer who won’t have a vote Tuesday is Philip Romano of Austintown. But he says it would be good to give more control to city council and the administration over the park commission’s spending.

Home rule for Liberty?

In Liberty, Jim Rodway, zoning inspector, said adopting the new home-rule legislation will make certain processes smoother for zoning and police officials.

Rodway said people who violate zoning laws are now taken to court, where it often takes months to rectify issues. But with home rule, the township can impose its own ordinances and fine schedule.

Police Chief Anthony Slifka said the home rule legislation would strengthen police noise regulations and rules on things such as dogs running at large. The legislation could also cover speeding, junk vehicles and transient vendors. The township, Rodway said, would have the power to impose fines.

A new Sharon?

Some Sharon residents and officials agree that the form of government adopted in 1959 for the city isn’t working well any longer.

A government study commission has proposed a home rule charter that would drastically change Sharon’s government set-up by eliminating the three elected posts that oversee daily operations. The mayor, controller and treasurer would be replaced by an appointed city manager and fiscal officer. A five-member city council would continue to govern Sharon.

William McConnell Jr., chairman of the home rule study commission, said commission members believe the city should be run by a professional city manager.

Sam Messina of Sharon worries that a city manager may not be a native of the city and won’t work as hard as an elected mayor.

“You don’t have that same loyalty factor you do with a mayor,” he said.

Mayor Bob Lucas and council President Fred Hoffman oppose the changes saying it eliminates the system of check and balances.

A study for Lawrence?

In Lawrence County, residents will decide if a study commission should be convened.

The ballot question which also includes the election of an 11-member study commission didn’t garner much interest from candidates. Only five people filed petitions to be part of the commission. If six others do not get 200 write-in votes on Election Day, the question will fail even if the majority of voters say yes to the study.

“I don’t see any groundswell of citizen support. I think the public doesn’t feel there is a need to change. We gave them the chance,” Commissioner Steve Craig said.

Janet Verone, a Lawrence County League of Women Voters member, said the group believes it’s time for a change because the current “form of government is obsolete.” The proposal is on Tuesday’s ballot at the league’s request.

Contributors: Staff writers Laure Cioffi, William K. Alcorn and John Goodwin.