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Tuesday’s election turned out to be a sizzler
This election wasn’t supposed to be interesting.
Sure, incumbent Boardman Township Trustees Robyn Gallitto and Kathy Miller looked to be in real trouble with their re-election bids — and they were.
But with about two weeks left before Election Day, there was little to be excited about on the local ballot. And the only item attracting interest statewide was the casino gambling issue.
A lot changed in just a couple of weeks.
The re-election of Warren “Bo” Pritchard, an Austintown Township trustee, was shaky at best two weeks before Tuesday.
But that quickly turned from shaky to impossible when it was reported that Pritchard was heading Nov. 25 to the Columbiana County jail. He’s to serve 90 days for a conviction of operating a vehicle while impaired.
Also, the Mahoning County Bar Association accused Pritchard, an attorney, of multiple counts of misconduct, and the Ohio Supreme Court suspended his law license.
He received only 8.53 percent of the vote in a four-man race, finishing a distant last.
There were reasons why Pritchard, Gallitto and Miller lost.
The latter two oversee a township government in a financial crisis. A vote for change in Boardman isn’t a surprise.
In Campbell, five-term Mayor John Dill lost to a political newcomer. This also wasn’t a shock. Campbell is a city that has had more than its share of financial trouble and voters obviously felt now was the time for a change in leadership.
The theme of “time for a change” was everywhere.
Plenty of incumbent trustees and board of education members in the Mahoning Valley were voted out of office.
If Walter Avdey, a 24-year Coitsville Township trustee, is heading for a loss, who’s safe?
I wrote “heading for a loss” because unofficial totals have him trailing Gregory T. Haren by 8 votes. There are 6 provisional votes in Coitsville to be counted and the possibility of a recount. But it looks like Avdey’s time is done.
Incumbent trustees in Canfield, Liberty, Howland, Goshen and Perry, among others, as well as school board members in Austintown, Youngstown, Poland, Niles, McDonald and Canfield, among others, were kicked to the curb.
Also, a school bond issue and a township replacement tax in Austintown were rejected, as were additional school levies in Liberty, Lakeview and Leetonia.
Sales taxes in Mahoning and Columbiana counties, a Salem additional income tax, two $5 Trumbull County vehicle license taxes and a Columbiana County cancer detection clinic tax were also defeated.
Based on the results of this election, it’s shocking how well the tax renewal for the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County did.
Big picture
Those who blame the defeats on supposed incorrect ballot language or consider themselves scapegoats for problems in their communities are missing the big picture.
Right or wrong, people are fed up with their elected officials.
People are tired of being asked to pay taxes and to trust those in charge to do the right thing.
People are facing serious financial problems — losing their jobs or taking pay cuts or taking on the burden of paying more for their health insurance, if they’re fortunate enough to have it.
Meanwhile, government officials, seemingly unaware of what’s happening around them, continue to have their hand out asking for more.
The voters sent a crystal clear message to those officeholders — No!
Some innocent people got hit in the crossfire. But for the most part government continues to spend too much.
It’s great that cuts are made and expenses are reduced.
Voters just said, “Do more!”
Unless there are deeper cuts and smarter decisions made, the answer is going to continue to be no when voters are asked to continue to pay for government operations.
The incoming officials recently elected should realize this better than most.
A successful election is gratifying and congratulations to those who won Tuesday. Your real test begins in January. Good luck. You’re going to need it.