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Ungaro becomes Poland trustee
POLAND
The third time was the charm.
Eric C. Ungaro was sworn in Tuesday as a Poland Township trustee, his first political post. He lost races for Youngstown City Council in 1999 and Mahoning County commissioner in 2007.
“This is very humbling. ... I’m going to do the best I can, and I’m going to bust my butt,” Ungaro said.
Mahoning County Common Pleas Judge James C. Evans swore in Ungaro, and the judge said he was pleased to administer the oath to someone he has “watched grow up and become successful.” About 30 people attended the ceremony at the Poland Township government center.
In November, Ungaro earned 48 percent of the vote and defeated longtime trustee Annette Jeswald-DiVito and challenger Tony Sferra, an assistant chief with the Western Reserve Joint Fire District.
Ungaro said he plans to move forward with his campaign promises, which were being accessible, organizing neighborhood meetings and getting a police officer in Poland schools.
A neighborhood meeting for the Lyons Boulevard area of the township, near the Struthers border, has been scheduled, and more meetings in various parts of the township are forthcoming, he said.
“I’ve already met with the police chief, and we’ll see how the [Poland school] levy goes,” Ungaro said in respect to the school resource officer. He added that “a lot of collaboration is needed” for the program to be implemented.
Current trustees Mark Naples and Robert J. Lidle Jr. said they look forward to working with Ungaro.
“In politics, we all go through these things. We said goodbye to an old family member in Annette DiVito, and now we welcome a new family member with Eric Ungaro,” Lidle said.
Many of Ungaro’s biological family members were present Tuesday, including his father, Patrick J. Ungaro, who served as Youngstown’s mayor for 14 years and is the current Liberty Township administrator.
“I’m proud of him. ... I told him to shoot from the heart. If he goes from the heart, it will be the right decision — it might not be easy, but it will be right,” Patrick Ungaro said.
The Poland Township Board of Trustees will convene for an organizational meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday.