Two veteran lawmakers face off in Warren council race

Two veterans of Warren City Council are facing off in the race for president of that body.

Despite their shared experience on council, incumbent Robert Marchese and challenger Robert Dean differ substantially in style and substance.

Marchese is more of a policy wonk, able to recite employment and budget figures for the city without referring to a note.

Dean can be fuzzy on some of the numbers involved in keeping Warren on the fiscal track but has instant recall when talking about a tragedy or a trouble spot in the city and what has been done or should be done about it.

Except for a two-year gap, Marchese, 58, has been a ward councilman, councilman-at-large or president of council since 1992. He’s been president of council since 2003. He’s a lifelong city resident and is director of operations and systems management for a mental health agency in Cleveland.

Dean, 69, has been a councilman-at-large since 2004. A Warren native, he returned to the city after serving in the Air Force from 1962 to 1982 and then working for 10 years in the office of the Houston, Texas, mayor.

Both have solid records of community service, in and out of government.

Dean says he has served on a variety of city, county and state boards, and will continue to do so. His priorities are economic development, safety and cleaning up the city.

Marchese says he has served as council president in an innovative and progressive manner and will work on the major issues facing the city: crime, job retention, job creation, neighborhood stabilization, blight reduction and redevelopment,

President has limits

In many ways, both men are talking about wish lists, because there is a limit to how much of the agenda a council president gets to set. He makes committee appointments and he runs council meetings according to the rules of order, but beyond that he has, at best, a bully pulpit and, possibly, the ear of the mayor.

While Dean may still believe his proposal for a sin tax on cigarettes and beer to fund safety services is a good one, he is no more likely to see it come to fruition as council president than he was a councilman-at-large.

While we have endorsed Marchese any number of times in the past for elective office and respect his competence, we were struck during the editorial board’s candidate interviews this year with Dean’s passion.

There’s going to be a new mayor elected this year, with the announced retirement of Michael J. O’Brien. The argument could be made that Marchese would provide a greater degree of continuity at a time of transition. But we’re compelled to suggest that Dean might provide a stronger voice for council, regardless of who is elected mayor.

The Vindicator endorses Dean with the anticipation that he will provide what he promises: full-time advocacy for the residents of Warren at a time when the city is struggling to provide the services of today and a vision for tomorrow.