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Trumbull elections board certifies candidates, referendums
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
The Trumbull County Board of Elections on Tuesday approved Mauro Cantalamessa to appear on the November ballot as the Democratic candidate for county commissioner, and J.D. Williams as the Republican candidate.
The board also approved the placement of two referendums on the ballot for Newton Falls, including one that would repeal an income tax increase for some residents of the village — an issue that prompted a lawsuit.
The board certified the Cantalamessa candidacy and referendums as part of a list of many other candidates, issues and liquor options.
The meeting took only several minutes with essentially no discussion by board members.
The elections board, however, did discuss the Newton Falls referendums in a closed-door meeting with Bill Danso, an assistant county prosecutor, just prior to the public meeting.
Kelly Pallante, director of the elections board, said last week there was nothing for the elections board to discuss regarding Cantalamessa’s candidacy despite the controversy that occurred because of the way the local Democratic Party selected him.
Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern has ordered the local party to take another vote to appoint its nominee for the position because the process used to select Cantalamessa involved secret ballots, which violates state and national party bylaws.
As for the referendums, Pallante said last week the elections board would need legal advice from Danso to determine whether it should certify them.
One of the referendums asks village residents whether they want to rescind village council action from June that eliminated a tax credit to village residents who live in the village but pay income tax to another town.
It means some residents will pay income tax to Newton Falls and the community where they work, which village resident Werner Lange said he thinks violates the Ohio Constitution.
Lange filed legal action in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to force the village to submit his petition to the board of elections. Judge Ronald Rice agreed and issued an order forcing the village to comply.
The elections board also approved a second Newton Falls referendum on an ordinance that village council approved establishing a stormwater utility that would be responsible for the operations, construction, maintenance and repair of stormwater facilities, stormwater planning and lake and river-quality management.