Sunday, April 26, 2009
Photo
Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams
Photo
Chief Jimmy Hughes.
In evaluating his first term as Youngstown mayor, Jay Williams would give himself the same grade.
YOUNGSTOWN — Calling himself his “harshest critic,” Jay Williams says there is room for improvement should he be re-elected to another term as mayor this year.
“There are a lot of challenges still facing Youngstown,” Williams said during a recent endorsement interview with The Vindicator. He faces Frank Bellamy in the May 5 Democratic primary.
One of the main challenges, Williams said, is safety.
Though statistics show a decrease in major crimes, Williams said he’s not satisfied with the city’s crime rate although he praised police officers for the work they do. Getting more officers in police cars patrolling the city’s neighborhoods is a top priority, he said.
When asked what grade he would give Police Chief Jimmy Hughes, Williams said a C-plus or a B-minus.
Williams said he wouldn’t give any other department head in his administration a lower grade than Hughes.
“It’s been a work in progress,” Williams said of Hughes as police chief.
“Quite frankly, I don’t consider a C-plus or a B-minus to be bad grades,” Hughes said.
When Williams took office in January 2006, he appointed Hughes, then a 29-year veteran of the city police force, as chief replacing Robert Bush.
The mayor added that he’s had “very candid” conversations with Hughes about his job as chief. Williams said he wants to see the chief be a better communicator.
“If I need to communicate more then that’s what I’ll do,” Hughes said.
Williams said his comments “shouldn’t be construed as a lack-of-confidence vote against the chief.”
Being police chief is a tough job, the mayor said.
If re-elected, Williams said he’ll review all of his department heads to see if they’ll remain in those positions next year.
Hughes said he wants to remain police chief.
“I think I’m doing a good job,” he said. “It’s a major position to hold. It’s unique as a position. I don’t think it can be compared to other department heads. I do what I consider to be a good job. I think I can improve.”
In evaluating his three-plus years as mayor, Williams said he’d give himself the same C-plus, B-minus grade he gave Hughes.
State Rep. Robert F. Hagan of Youngstown, D-60th, who lost the 2005 general election to Williams, said he’d give the mayor a grade of B during his first term.
Williams has performed well under difficult economic conditions, Hagan said.
“I think he’s done a good job with no money, the crime issue and a decaying housing stock,” Hagan said. “He’s had some difficult moments, but there’s a lot of challenges.”
Thomas Humphries, president of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, also gave Williams a grade of B.
“He represents the community well; I haven’t seen the city better represented,” Humphries said. “It’s not an A because of the challenges the city faces, most notably safety. But he’s done a pretty good job with economic development, particularly considering the economic conditions.”
Williams said one of his disappointments in his first term was the failure to get surrounding communities, particularly Austintown and Boardman, supportive of creating joint economic development districts. The plan would impose an income tax on those who work in the suburbs who use Youngstown water. The communities would split the income tax, with Youngstown receiving the lion’s share.
Even before the proposal was released, township trustees in Boardman and Austintown opposed it.
But Williams points to a proposal with Girard to split income tax revenue for a potential $1 billion expansion project being considered by V&M Star Steel as a way regional cooperation can succeed.
Williams remains proud of the Youngstown 2010 property development plan that he helped create. The plan outlines the most productive ways to use property in the city.
“We’ve come a long way with Youngstown 2010,” he said. “But the decades-long decline can’t be turned around in 10 to 15 years.”
One byproduct of Youngstown 2010 is positive press coverage nationwide, Williams said.
“We’ve made substantial progress in the way we are perceived,” he said.
skolnick@vindy.com
Video