Oakhill looms as 5 vie for commissioner seats

By Peter H. Milliken

An Oakhill dissenter denies being an obstructionist.

YOUNGSTOWN — Mahoning County’s acquisition of Oakhill Renaissance Place more than two years ago continues to loom large as an issue in Nov. 4 election contests for two county commissioner’s seats.

In both races, challengers are seeking seats occupied by Democratic incumbents running for election to their second four-year terms.

In the more hotly contested race, incumbent John A. McNally IV, the only county commissioner who opposed the Oakhill purchase, is being challenged by Republican Lisa S. Lotze and independent candidate Maggy Lorenzi.

In the other race, incumbent Anthony T. Traficanti, a staunch advocate of the Oakhill purchase, is being challenged by the less-known Republican Christopher McCarty.

“Right now, there’s this cloud over John McNally,” Lotze said, referring to McNally’s relationship with the Cafaro family and his opposition to the Oakhill acquisition.

Oakhill is the former Forum Health Southside Medical Center, which the county bought for $75,000 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in July 2006.

Oakhill houses the county’s Department of Job and Family Services, which formerly occupied rented offices in the Cafaro Co.-owned Garland Plaza on the city’s East Side.

“We already own it. ... Let’s move on. Let’s focus on making it [Oakhill] an asset and get on with county government,” urged Lotze, who said she is running to restore bipartisan balance to county politics.

Lorenzi said McNally’s relationship with the Cafaros has clouded his judgment.

“I know the people. I know the politics of this area. Nobody owns me. Nobody influences me,” Lorenzi said.

In a two-year period at Garland Plaza, JFS’ 300 employees filed more than 100 workers’ compensation claims related to air quality problems there, but they’ve filed only 18 workers’ compensation claims since JFS’ July 2007 move to Oakhill, Lorenzi said.

McNally admits he has had discussions with the Cafaros, but denies taking his marching orders from them.

McNally said Oakhill continues to present long-term obligations to the county for payment of real estate taxes and an Ohio Department of Development loan incurred before the county bought the building, and McNally insists that he maintains the right to speak out on such issues.

The county is repaying the loan, but it is asking Gov. Ted Strickland for an opinion concerning the taxes. Each of those liens on Oakhill is in excess of $400,000.

Despite his criticisms of the Oakhill purchase, McNally denies being an obstructionist, noting that, as a member of the county’s building commission, he recently voted in favor of spending $240,000 for a major roof replacement project at Oakhill.

McNally said he works well with his colleagues, Commissioners Traficanti and David N. Ludt, 97 percent of the time. “We conduct ourselves well as a board,” he said.

McNally said accomplishments during his term have included passage of the county’s two half-percent sales taxes, the hiring of additional deputy sheriffs to staff the jail as it fully reopened, and the hiring of more magistrates and assistant prosecutors to expedite the county Common Pleas Court docket.

When McNally voted against buying Oakhill, “that’s where it should have stopped,” Traficanti said of McNally’s opposition to the project.

Traficanti, who has been chairman of the county commissioners for four consecutive years, cited as his major accomplishments moving JFS to Oakhill and successfully defending the county against the Cafaro Co.’s taxpayer lawsuit, which was aimed at rescinding the Oakhill purchase.

As major accomplishments during his term, Traficanti also cited passage of the county’s sales taxes, which stabilized county revenues and led to reopening of closed sections of the county jail, and achievement with the city of a settlement of a federal lawsuit from prisoners concerning unconstitutional jail crowding.

Traficanti’s challenger, McCarty, was the only candidate for Mahoning County commissioner who did not meet with The Vindicator’s editorial board, but he did complete a candidate questionnaire.

McCarty did not refer specifically to any issue affecting county government, but he emphasized the need for all interest groups, including government, business, education and labor, to cooperate for the betterment of the Mahoning Valley.

“The challenge remains how to provide and pay for the necessary services to meet the many needs of our residents,” McCarty wrote.

SEE ALSO: Contests.