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Mahoning County GOP nominates Meacham as auditor candidate
By LINDA M. LINONIS
BOARDMAN
The Mahoning County Republican Party Central Committee selected a nominee for county auditor and endorsed an independent candidate for county probate judge during a Sunday afternoon meeting at the GOP headquarters. Both will be on the Nov. 4 ballot.
Ralph T. Meacham of Lake Milton was nominated as the party’s candidate for auditor, replacing Bill Reese, former Canfield Township trustee, who withdrew from the race recently because of health issues.
Attorney Robert N. Rusu Jr. of Canfield, a candidate for Mahoning County Probate Court judge, received the committee’s endorsement.
Meacham will be introduced to county voters during a news conference at 2 p.m. today at the headquarters.
Party Chairman Mark Munroe, who conducted Sunday’s meeting at 621 Boardman-Canfield Road, said the party had just 10 days to find a replacement for Reese, and the deadline was today. The Democratic nominee is incumbent Michael Sciortino, who is under a 22-count criminal indictment charged with political-corruption allegations.
Meacham is a senior finance and business exec- utive with some 35 years of experience in financial operations. He said he is a Republican because he believes “government should serve the people and people not serve the government.” He said he also believes “government should be as limited as possible.”
Meacham said he placed his name before the committee for consideration because he “would be an effective steward of taxes” and looked forward to the “opportunity to serve.”
Meacham, a certified public accountant, most recently worked for Packer Thomas and Co. in Youngstown from 2009-12, a regional accounting firm in Ohio and Pennsylvania, as chief financial officer and director of operations. From 1997-2009, he was chief financial officer and director of human relations at Butler Wick Corp., Youngstown.
Meacham said he derived “great satisfaction from volunteer work.” He was a volunteer with Southwinds Inc., a nonprofit organization in Pittsburgh that operated group homes for mentally challenged adults, and an interfaith employment group in Mount Lebanon, Pa.
Rusu and Mary Ann Fabrizi of Berlin Center are running in the general election as independents, while Susan Maruca of Poland is the Democratic nominee.
Rusu thanked the committee for its endorsement. He said he has handled nearly 1,400 cases in probate court.
Rusu was sworn in July 8 to complete former Judge Mark Belinky’s term, which expires Feb. 8, 2015. The probate judge term is six years.
In the Mahoning County Bar Association, he is a trustee and served as president from 2011-12. He previously served as a trustee with Alzheimer’s Assistance and Referral Network from 2004-09. Since 2009, he has been a board member with Canfield Athletic Boosters.
He is a member of National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Ohio State Bar Association and ProSenior Referral Attorney Panel and a Volunteer Legal Services pro bono attorney.
Donna Bricker, party chairwoman, announced the picnic will be at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Youngstown Shrine Club. She also distributed a sign-up sheet for volunteers to staff the GOP booth at the upcoming Canfield Fair.