Negative campaign charged in Trumbull engineer’s race

Despite allegations, county engineer candidate Randy Smith says he’s running a positive campaign.

By TIM YOVICH

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

LIBERTY — The campaign for Trumbull County engineer is heating up as the Tuesday’s Democratic primary election gets closer.

On Wednesday, candidate David DeChristofaro of Niles held a news conference at the MetroPlex to accuse his opponent, Randy Smith of Hartford Township, of negative campaigning.

Smith quickly responded that it’s DeChristofaro who is dragging down the campaign. Smith said he’s concentrating on a positive campaign based on his record.

Smith is the county’s chief deputy engineer, and DeChristofaro is vice president of engineering and development for the Cafaro Co.

During his press conference, DeChristofaro charged that Smith “is implying that the Cafaro Co. is corrupt, therefore I too am corrupt.”

DeChristofaro said he will pursue charges with the Ohio Elections Commission.

Smith pointed out that he hasn’t made any insinuations. Quite the opposite, Smith said, calling attention to the clean campaign he has run.

DeChristofaro said that the county engineer’s office can no longer serve as administrator for federal transportation funds because that role has been terminated by the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Smith countered that the county engineer has responded to ODOT point by point, but the state agency refused to discuss the matter.

ODOT said it took the action over conflicts with various contractors. For example, ODOT said the county engineer had terminated the contract with the contractor working on the Newton Falls covered bridge rehabilitation project, not taking ODOT’s advice to resolve the dispute through negotiations.

DeChristofaro claimed that county Engineer John Latell, who had decided not to seek re-election, hired his relatives. Smith said he never supported the hirings and nobody in his family works in government.

Smith also takes exception to DeChristofaro’s comments that the engineer’s office is wasting money and has purchased insurance through one of Latell’s relatives.

Smith said the relative had dealing with the engineer’s office before Latell took office.

DeChristofaro also claims that the engineer’s office has paid $14,000 for 10,000 county maps that are being used as part of Smith’s campaign literature. Smith said the county orders between 750 and 7,500 maps, depending on the need. The engineer’s office has 5,000 maps on hand with Latell and Smith’s photographs on them that will be distributed at events after the election.

yovich@vindy.com