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5 want to replace judge
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Girard Municipal Court Judge Michael Bernard
By Ed Runyan
and David Skolnick
Five Democrats have lined up to run May 3 to replace Girard Municipal Court Judge Michael Bernard, who is retiring.
In addition to the previously announced candidates — Jeff Adler of Hubbard, Mark Finamore of Vienna Township, Rebecca Gerson of Girard and Marty Hume of Liberty Township — the race features Harry J. DePietro of Girard.
The court’s jurisdiction is Girard, Liberty, Hubbard city and township, Vienna Township and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The new judge will serve a six-year term.
The Trumbull County Board of Elections will meet at 3 p.m. Monday to determine whether all candidates and issues meet the requirements to be on the ballot.
Meanwhile, the only person to file as a Republican candidate in Trumbull County — Arno Hill — will seek to return as Lordstown mayor. Hill served as mayor from 1992 to 2003 and has been a council member since 2006.
He will have no opponent in the primary, but two Democrats have filed to run: William L. Blank, the village deputy clerk, and Michael Sullivan, a councilman.
The current mayor, Michael Chaffee, announced recently he would not seek another term.
Three men have filed nominating petitions in hopes of earning his party’s nomination for Warren mayor: Jim Graham, Doug Franklin and Vincent Heflin.
Warren at-large Councilman Bob Dean will challenge incumbent Bob Marchese for council president.
In Girard, Mayor James Melfi receives a challenge from former Councilman Myron A. Esposito, and incumbent Reynald J. Paolone will face off with former Councilman Michael A. Costarella for council president. Council positions are for two years.
In Hubbard, just one Democrat, former Councilman John D. Darko, has filed petitions to run for mayor. The current mayor, Richard D. Keenan, did not file petitions to continue as mayor. Keenan was selected by 11 Trumbull County Democratic Party precinct committee members from Hubbard at the end of 2009 to complete the term of Arthur U. Magee after Magee stepped down for health reasons.
In Mahoning County, there are few competitive primary races.
All seven current members of Youngstown City Council are running, but five of them don’t have Democratic primary opponents.
Mike Ray, appointed Dec. 21 to fill an unexpired term in the 4th Ward, faces opposition from three candidates.
Councilman Paul Drennen, D-5th, has seven challengers in the May Democratic primary.
Drennen’s opponents include Michael R. Rapovy and Jerome McNally, both former 5th Ward councilmen, as well as ex-state Rep. Sylvester Patton and Anthony J. Catale, a member of the Youngstown school board.
The only Republican to file nominating petitions by Wednesday’s deadline was Plato Kalfas, who also is seeking the 5th Ward position.
May 2, the day before the primary, is the deadline for independent candidates to file nominating petitions.
In Struthers, the mayor, auditor, municipal court judge, president of council and two ward councilmen are running unopposed.
Longtime Law Director Carol Clemente Wagner, who submitted a letter of resignation in November 2009, rescinded it and then had to go to court to keep her job, is not seeking re-election.
Dominic R. Leone III is running unopposed in the Democratic primary for law director.
There are also six new tax levies on the May ballot in Mahoning County: two in Beloit and one each in Boardman Township, the Western Reserve Joint Fire District in Poland, and the school districts in Poland and Canfield.