43
Report: Panel spent $24K to promote sales-tax issue
The campaign to get the library levy renewed spent more than $50,000.
YOUNGSTOWN — A committee spent $24,100, nearly all of it in the final three weeks leading to the Nov. 3 general election, on an unsuccessful attempt to pass a permanent 0.5-percent sales tax in Mahoning County.
The Committee for Our Future spent $20,157 in the final weeks of its failed effort, according to its post-general campaign finance report submitted by Friday’s deadline to the county board of elections.
Most of that money went to Casey Malone and Associates, a political consulting firm run by the former talk-radio personality.
Malone used $14,650 to buy time on the local television networks for commercials and $400 to produce a TV ad, the report shows.
The latest campaign reports include financial activity between Oct. 15 and Dec. 4.
Several county officials contributed to the failed campaign during that time period, nearly all of them before the Nov. 3 election.
They include:
UCommissioners Anthony Traficanti and David Ludt, who each gave $200; Commissioner John A. McNally IV, $100.
UAdministrator George Tablack, $250.
USheriff Randall Wellington, $650.
URecorder Noralynn Palermo, $270.
UAuditor Michael Sciortino, $200.
UCommon Pleas Court Judge James C. Evans, $50.
Also, county Democratic Party Chairman David Betras contributed $500.
The committee supporting the Austintown schools bond issue in last month’s election spent even more than the one for the county sales tax.
But the result was the same.
The committee for the failed Austintown issue spent $25,440 on its campaign, including $19,371 in the final weeks.
The amount is somewhat deceptive because Alex Benyo, a longtime school supporter, gave the campaign a short-term $9,000 loan. The loan counted as money raised and spent by the campaign.
The campaign in Mahoning County that raised the most money in this past election was the Citizens Committee for the Library Levy.
The campaign spent $50,038 to get the county library levy renewed.
The most expensive candidates’ race, by far, was for two township trustee seats in Boardman.
Campaign finance reports for the five candidates who filed them showed they spent $71,933 on the race. Two other candidates, who finished sixth and seventh, weren’t required to submit finance forms because they didn’t raise at least $1,000.
The two candidates who spent the most money won.
Thomas P. Costello, an ex-trustee who finished first in the Nov. 3 election, led the way with $21,060.
Brad Calhoun, who captured the other seat, spent $18,463 on his race. Of that amount, $3,300 was money he lent the campaign.
Ed Aey, running for office for the first time, finished third in the election. He spent $11,823.
Robyn Gallitto, who failed to win re-election, finished fourth in the election and spent $12,994 for the effort.
Kathy Miller, who also lost a re-election bid by finishing fifth, spent $10,893.
Costello said money played a part in his election victory.
He said having money to send four pieces of campaign materials through the mail helped reinforce his message and his name.
“In 2005, I didn’t spend all of my money, and I lost,” he said. “I was not going to make the same mistake twice. The goal isn’t to have the most money in your campaign fund at the end of the election.”
Costello had $78 in his fund as of Dec. 4.
At the end of 2005, Costello, who lost re-election that year, had $5,343 left in his campaign account.
skolnick@vindy.com