Friday, February 29, 2008
Only the Trumbull County sheriff has a challenger in Tuesday’s primary.
VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT
It was only last month that the incumbent sheriffs in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties faced primary opposition.
But things have certainly changed.
Mahoning County Sheriff Randall A. Wellington, who’s held that position since August 1999, had two opponents file against him in the Democratic primary. He now faces no opposition in the primary.
Columbiana County Sheriff David L. Smith, facing a charge of operating a motor vehicle under the influence, has withdrawn from the race. Three Republicans are running in Tuesday’s primary to replace Smith as the party’s nominee in November. Only Trumbull County Sheriff Thomas Altiere faces a primary opponent.
In Mahoning County, ex-Youngstown police Detective Sgt. Rick Alli was quickly removed as a candidate because he failed to properly file paperwork to run for the seat.
Wellington, a former 14-year police chief in Youngstown, filed an objection to keep David P. Aey, a former sheriff’s deputy who lives in Boardman, off Tuesday’s primary ballot. The objection was refused by the county board of elections. But the Ohio Supreme Court granted Wellington’s request Feb. 14.
Aey’s attempt to have a federal judge overturn the state court’s ruling failed. That leaves Wellington running unopposed for the Democratic nomination Tuesday.
Howard Faison of Youngstown, a retired sheriff’s captain, has filed to run as an independent candidate. The independent filing deadline is Monday.
In Trumbull, Altiere, of Howland Township, is being challenged by Joseph Consiglio of Weathersfield Township, where he is the police chief.
Altiere claims that Consiglio doesn’t have the experience to operate a full-service jail, and Consiglio asserts that Altiere is wasting money.
Altiere says his challenger will have to learn to provide prisoners with a balanced diet and get them released if they should become severely ill so the county doesn’t have to pay their medical expenses.
Altiere acknowledges that Consiglio could learn how to operate the jail, but suggests there be a training process for sheriffs.
Consiglio counters that he has owned his own business, is familiar with the budgets and can learn the jobs just as Altiere had to do.
In leveling a charge that Altiere wastes money, Consiglio points to nine deputies who provide security in the county courthouse but all drive cruisers to work and back home.
Altiere said it’s not a part of the deputy’s contract with the sheriff to take the cruisers home, but it has been past practice. He said he will review the issue.
Consiglio also calls attention to Altiere’s giving raises of up to $8.71 per hour over 39 months to six of his office managers and hazardous duty pay of about $1,000 to his personnel director. Altiere reduced the pay raises to less than $2 per hour.
“I dropped the ball. I can’t blame anyone for that,” Altiere admits, saying he was in the hospital and meant to approve the same raises given his unionized employees.
Altiere and Consiglio do agree on some issues.
The sheriff’s office provides police protection to rural townships that don’t have their own police departments.
Altiere said that the northern townships can’t generate enough money to pay for patrols because of the lack of population. Consiglio said the sheriff has an “obligation” to provide law enforcement to the rural townships.
Two veteran law enforcement officials sound alike in their bids for the Republican nomination for Columbiana County sheriff.
Jerry Herbert and Daniel MacLean worked their way up at the sheriff’s office and then retired. They now work together in security at the Columbiana County Municipal Court.
Herbert, of New Waterford, is a former detective lieutenant. MacLean, of Wellsville, is a former jail administrator.
Raymond Stone, a Republican and the chief of the Perry Township Police Department, also seeks the nomination. An effort to schedule an interview with Stone failed. The sheriff’s office has been in Republican hands for 60 years.
The Republican winner will face Democrat John M. Soldano, Leetonia’s chief of police, in November.
Herbert and MacLean said they would not be running if Smith had not been charged in Guernsey County with OVI while under the influence in his unmarked cruiser. Smith is to plead guilty to the charge April 18.
Both Herbert and MacLean said drugs are a growing problem in the county.
Herbert estimated that 90 percent of all crimes are connected to drugs. MacLean’s estimate was 70 percent. County Prosecutor Robert Herron’s estimate has been 80 percent.
Herbert said he would work closely with the county’s drug task force, which is housed at the privately run county jail and other local law enforcement agencies.
He said he believes the drug problem has grown because of a lack of funding and a lack of resources, fewer jobs and dealers who have infiltrated some low-cost housing. He said a drug court, which can help abusers get treatment and avoid incarceration, would also be helpful.
Herbert said he also wanted to increase cooperation with local police departments and schools.
MacLean helped set up the county jail’s record system when commissioners allowed a private company to run the jail. He also set up the county’s Megan’s Law system, which requires convicted sex offenders to register their residence with authorities. He also handled fingerprinting and background checks, and was an unofficial liaison between the sheriff and CiviGenics, which runs the jail.
He wants to educate youths through the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program.
XContributors: David Skolnick, Vindicator Politics Writer; Tim Yovich of the Vindicator Trumbull Staff and D.A. Wilkinson of the Vindicator Salem Bureau