Litch, Simon and Ungaro benefit Liberty Township

There was a time in the not too distant past when candidates for Liberty Township trustee seeking The Vindicator’s endorsement were invariably asked about their plans for Belmont Avenue. The questions reflected the public’s attitude toward the township’s main thoroughfare: It’s unattractive and not business friendly.

This year, such questions were not posed. Why? Because Belmont Avenue is undergoing an impressive transformation. And trustees Gary Litch and Jack Simon, who are seeking re-election in the Nov. 3 general election, and their colleague, Jodi Stoyak, get to share in the glory.

But behind every officeholder running on a record of success, there’s a public servant doing the heavy lifting, implementing the policies set by the representative of the people. In Liberty Township, that public servant is Administrator Patrick J. Ungaro, the former mayor of Youngstown, who has been on the job for about seven years.

Ungaro’s tenure parallels the redevelopment of the township, which is why we included his name in the headline even though he isn’t on the ballot.

Without the administrator aggressively pursuing federal and state grants for major water and sewer projects, nudging the 711 Connector project along, going all out for the Wal-Mart superstore that is now in the Liberty Plaza and courting companies to fill empty storefronts and vacant land, Litch and Simon would be having to justify their political existence.

If Litch and Simon are to be returned to office — we believe they have earned re-election — then Ungaro deserves to stay where he is.

We say that because the administrator’s future has become an issue in this campaign.

The three challengers in the race, Sam Nudell, Maureen Massaro and Jason Rubin, made it a point in their interviews with members of newspaper’s editorial board to sing the praises of the administrator and damn with feint praise the two trustees seeking re-election.

Litch has clashed with Ungaro, and neither he nor Simon would shed any tears if the administrator decided to resign or to switch from full-time to part-time status. But the officeholders, while acknowledging that Ungaro has successfully completed the tasks they hired him to perform but that it may be time for township government to go in a different direction, insisted they do not intend to fire him .

It certainly wold be short-sighted for them to take such a drastic step.

Work to be done

There is a lot of work left to be done, which makes Ungaro invaluable because of his background, expertise and government connections.

Litch, who has served 16 years as a trustee, and Simon, with 12 years under his belt, must know that residents expect their government to produce results and not to be distracted by internal conflicts.

Both the incumbents said the upgrading of Belmont Avenue from Churchill to Gypsy Lane remains to be completed and that attention must be paid to neighborhoods that have property maintenance and other zoning issues.

Last year’s death of elderly resident Mary Rush has resulted in the creation of a Senior Watch Program that includes the installation of key lockboxes and special light sockets at the homes of senior citizens, disabled residents and others with special needs.

The challengers in the race are well-intentioned and have a command of the issues confronting the township.

Nudell, in particular, is well-versed in economic development because, as a business development specialist for Edward J. Lewis Inc., he has handled many of the major property transfers, including the Ramada Inn and Kmart sites.

Rubin, as the owner of CR Electric Inc., said that the township cannot afford to have the two trustees up for re-election and the administrator at loggerheads and believes it’s time for some new blood on the board.

Massaro, administrative assistant at SagePoint Financial Inc., has been active in the Liberty school system and said such experience would stand her in good stead as a trustee.

While the challengers do make strong cases for their candidacies, we believe the incumbents, Litch and Simon, deserve to be re-elected because of the progress that has been made in the township.

The Vindicator endorses Litch and Simon — with the understanding that they will find a way of working with Ungaro for the benefit of the community.