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Government novices compete for open Trumbull commissioner seat
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
Possibly the most competitive race in Trumbull County this election is between two men trying to be elected to political office for the first time for one of the most important positions in county government.
Mauro Cantalamessa, a Democrat, and J.D. Williams, a Republican, are squared off Nov. 4 to fill the last two years of the term of Paul Heltzel, who died June 30, part way through the second year of his third four-year term.
Heltzel, 69, an attorney, was widely praised for intellect, business and legal acumen, local knowledge as a lifelong area resident and even his sense of humor.
Cantalamessa and Williams, conversely, are experienced in their career fields — Cantalamessa in running Enzo’s Restaurant in Warren, and Williams in serving many years in the military and flying commercial aircraft — but neither has practically any government experience.
Both ran for office once before — Cantalamessa in 2006 as one of six Democrats trying to fill a vacant commissioner seat, and Williams in 2010 trying to win election to the seat in the Ohio House of Representatives won by Sean O’Brien.
Cantalamessa, whose brother, Enzo, is Warren safety-service director, was appointed by Trumbull County Democrats to fill Heltzel’s position until the election, so he has the advantage of a couple of months in office.
In an interview with The Vindicator, he pointed to one of the things he did as commissioner that he feels already has paid off.
When commissioners from Mahoning and Trumbull counties got together a few months ago to talk privately about the internal problems among members of the Western Reserve Port Authority, Cantalamessa said he suggested a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis.
That analysis suggested that the port authority hire a director right away, which resulted in the interim hiring of John Moliterno, who has been in place a couple of months.
Cantalamessa says that hiring and the Trumbull commissioners putting well-known businessman Sam Covelli on the board have strengthened it dramatically. He still believes a broad search should be carried out to determine whether Moliterno remains permanently in the director’s job.
Williams has stressed improving economic opportunities for Trumbull County residents during his campaign, saying he likes what Lordstown Mayor Arno Hill has done — helping to attract new business to Lordstown and maintaining a good relationship with GM Lordstown.
He thinks having a Republican county commissioner and a “two-party system” at the commissioners office will help the county prosper. For example, he thinks his presence will improve the county’s relationship with state officials in Columbus.
“We need a lot of things. We need to build infrastructure — to have a site ready to attract industry, like fiber optics,” Williams said.
He criticized what he believes is a broken hiring system in county government.
“I’d like to see a better hiring process. I see a lot of friends and family over the years who have been promised jobs,” he said.
When asked about that, Cantalamessa said, “I don’t see that as an issue.”