Voters in Youngstown face some challenging and beguiling choices in some key citywide races come

Voters in Youngstown face some challenging and beguiling choices in some key citywide races come Election Day Nov. 5.

The race for president of Youngstown City Council, however, is not one of them.

City residents can easily and confidently entrust their votes to Youngstown Mayor Charles Sammarone who is clearly head and shoulders above either of his challengers.

Regardless if who voters elect as mayor, he or she will benefit from the experience and knowledge Sammarone can share from his three decades of experience in city government.

CHALLENGERS

His challengers are Independent Chris Travers and Green Party candidate Susie Beiersdorfer.

Travers has shaped the race largely around his perceived failings of Sammarone and his administration. As such, we wonder why he did not seek the mayoral position.

Beiersdorfer, an activist in the anti-fracking movement in the Mahoning Valley, appears to seek office largely to promote her group’s Community Bill of Rights, which we believe is likely to fail again on Election Day.

Of the three, Sammarone enunciates the most comprehensive and realistic agenda: “I want to stay in city government to continue my policies of accountability, pushing for improvements in the neighborhoods, including more demolitions, more consolidation with [Mahoning] County, and financial stability.”

Given his experience, his knowledge of Youngstown city operations, his valuable contacts and his ability to mentor others, The Vindicator heartily endorses Sammarone.