Keenan replaces Magee as mayor of Hubbard

By Jeanne Starmack

The new mayor won Arthur Magee’s seat over two other nominees.

HUBBARD — The city’s new mayor is Richard Keenan, a former 4th Ward council member.

Keenan, 59, of Moore Street, was elected mayor by 11 Trumbull County Democratic Party precinct committee people from Hubbard at a meeting Tuesday evening at the Hubbard city building. He is filling the unexpired term of Arthur Magee, who is retiring for health reasons.

The committee people nominated two others to succeed Magee. They were Dan Livingston, who served as a 1st Ward council member from 1995 to 1999, and George Praznik, the city’s mayor from 1995 to 2003 and a former longtime council member.

The vote was Keenan, 6; Livingston, 4; and Praznik, 1.

Keenan, who said he is looking forward to serving as mayor, acknowledged the city is having tough times financially.

“We’ve got an excellent council, excellent police. Lots of dedicated people,” he said.

“We love this town,” he continued. “We’ll work together in the best interest of the people.”

“He’ll be OK,” Magee said. “He has a good city and excellent people working for him.”

“I knew I could do it," Keenan said about his decision to try for the post. “I know council; I know the community.”

He said one of the biggest challenges is going to be providing city residents with necessary services.

“Everybody’s hurting,” he pointed out. “Funds aren’t there. Tax bases are down.”

Keenan has worked since 1999 as a car inspector for CSX Railroad in New Castle, Pa. He was a probation officer in Girard Municipal Court in the mid-1990s after leaving P&LE Railroad in Struthers in 1992.

He served on the city council in the early 1990s and again in the late 1990s.

He and his wife, Diana, have three daughters and three grandchildren.

He will serve until Magee’s term expires at the end of 2011.