Smith deserves top spot in Trumbull engineer’s office

Smith deserves top spot in Trumbull engineer’s office

Trumbull County Engineer John Latell isn’t seeking re-election this year, but you would not know it from listening to David DeChristofaro, a candidate for the Democratic nomination.

DeChristofaro has found fault with a lot in the engineeer’s office, and he is attempting to sell voters on the notion that Latell and Randy Smith, the deputy engineer who is vying for the nomination, are one and the same person.

It’s a stretch. While it is true that Smith has been active in the engineer’s office, he is not the engineer. He takes his orders from Latell.

DeChristofaro, Niles city engineer and Cafaro Co.’s vice president of engineering and development, told The Vindicator editorial board that “Randy is making all the decisions.” His implication was clear: The deputy engineer bears responsibility for whatever has gone wrong in the engineer’s office.

We aren’t buying it. Latell is still in charge and ultimately the good and the bad are his.

But the bad, according to DeChristofaro, is really bad and Smith is to blame.

Sanctions

The Cafaro Co. official is making much of the Ohio Department of Transportation’s decision last year to remove the county engineer as administrator for county projects funded by the federal government.

Smith counters that ODOT’s actions were politically motivated and he notes that ODOT’s District 4 director, who was involved in the decision, is not an engineer.

But even if the state has ample justification for the sanction against the Trumbull County engineer’s office, we believe it’s Latell who should be blamed.

DeChristofaro also charges that the office has become a den of nepotism, but Smith makes it clear that he does not have any relatives on Trumbull County’s public payroll. The same can’t be said of Latell.

Is it proper to visit the nepotism sins upon the deputy engineer? No it isn’t. Voters can only take Smith for his word when he says that nepotism would not be a part of his administration.

DeChristofaro also contends that five people have been hired since the campaign, and that the money could be better used for matching funds for projects. But Smith counters that a hiring freeze cut the number of employees from 75 to 70 between 2006 and 2007.

And so it goes. Point and counterpoint.

In the end, however, Democratic voters must decide whether the problems in the engineer’s office should be laid at the feet of the deputy engineer, or if the engineer who is retiring bears ultimate responsibility.

We believe that DeChristofaro is unfairly blaming Smith.

After evaluating both candidacies, The Vindicator endorses Smith — with the hope that he will implement the changes necessary to avoid the problems of the past.