Elections board says it can redistrict Youngstown's wards in 2 weeks —  for free

YOUNGSTOWN

The Mahoning County Board of Elections, largely responsible for Youngstown’s new seven-ward redistricting map, is willing to provide its services — at no cost again — to the city if a charter amendment to reduce the number of wards to five is approved by voters.

The board unanimously voted Thursday to put the ward-reduction charter-amendment proposal on the Nov. 4 ballot.

Director Joyce Kale-Pesta said a preliminary, unofficial map of five wards would take about two weeks to prepare.

The request for the five-ward map came from Youngstown Councilman Paul Drennen, D-5th, who supports the ward reduction.

“It’s easy to do,” Kale-Pesta said of a five-ward map. “We’d have plenty of time to do it.”

The charter-amendment proposal gives council 30 days after the fall-ballot vote is certified to redraw the lines for five wards, effective with the 2015 election. If council failed to do so in time, the mayor would have 14 days to redistrict.

If approved, the charter amendment would eliminate two council positions.

Some council members who oppose the charter amendment contend 30 days wouldn’t be enough time to redistrict, and work needs to get started before votes are counted.

Because of that, council voted 6-1 Wednesday to authorize the board of control to enter into a contract for about $7,500 with Triad Research Group of Westlake.

Triad had proposed in February redistricting the city’s seven wards to make the population in each more equitable for a price between $7,500 and $10,000.

After council voted in May to have the board of control hire Triad, Mayor John McNally, who is chairman of that board, refused to consider it.

Read more about the dispute in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.