Auditor candidate disqualified

A Canfield man who wanted to run for Mahoning County auditor as an independent will not be on the November ballot.

Michael Fortine, a certified public accountant, needed 980 valid signatures on nominating petitions to qualify.

Board employees found only 903 valid signatures on his petitions after reviewing the documents twice, said Director Thomas McCabe. The board disqualified Fortine on Friday.

Also Friday, the board certified the candidacy of independent Joe Markovitch of Boardman for county auditor. Like Fortine, Markovitch needed 980 valid signatures. Board employees stopped counting when they found 1,010 valid signatures, McCabe said.

Markovitch will challenge Auditor Michael Sciortino of Austintown, a Democrat who’s held the seat since 2005, and Republican Tracey Winbush of Youngstown in the November general election.