Sferra plans to seek seat on council

The current at-large council members are Bob L. Dean Jr., Helen Rucker and Daniel H. Crouse.

STAFF REPORT

WARREN — Dan Sferra, one of the most familiar names in Warren government, says he wants to end his five-year retirement to become a councilman-at large again.

Sferra, 59, of Eastland Avenue Southeast, was first elected a ward councilman in 1972 at age 21. He was elected councilman-at large four years later and then served as mayor from 1980 to 1995.

Sferra, a Democrat, also served as state representative from Warren from 2000 to 2004, before getting beaten by Republican Randy Law.

“I’ve been retired, and I look at the city, and I think I have something to offer,” Sferra said, noting that he has lived in the city his entire life.

Sferra said people should not view the move as a first step toward his trying to becoming mayor again.

“I’ve been to the mountain top, so to speak. I just want to help my city,” he said.

As for wanting to run this year, Sferra said he recently read about the city’s thinking about getting back into the ambulance business and felt that his background on the issue could be helpful.

“You’d think they’d ask why we ended it years ago,” he said.

Sferra took out petitions recently from the Trumbull County Board of Elections to run for councilman-at large and would face other Democrats in the primary if more than three run for the position.

The current at-large council members are Bob L. Dean Jr., Helen Rucker and Daniel H. Crouse.