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Candidate for Warren mayor off the ballot
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
Ian L. Folmar, who filed petitions with the Trumbull County Board of Elections seeking to oppose Warren Mayor Doug Franklin in the May 5 Democratic primary, won’t appear on the ballot as a result of having an insufficient number of valid signatures on his petitions.
The elections board voted Friday to invalidate his petitions and also to reject an attempt by the Cortland Fire Department to ask voters for a 1.5-mill, continuous additional levy.
The city submitted the wrong ballot language for the measure, said Jodi Fiorenzo Dibble, board of elections director.
The board certified the rest of the candidates and issues to appear on the ballot, though there are questions being raised about the petitions of Anthony Natale, who filed in the Democratic primary for Warren auditor.
Fiorenzo-Dibble said one signature on Natale’s petitions is not authentic and appears to be the signature of a woman signing for her disabled husband.
The woman is not on file at the elections board as having permission to sign for him, Fiorenzo-Dibble said.
The problem is that Natale signed his name indicating that he witnessed the signature as authentic.
The elections board is asking the Trumbull County Prosecutor’s Office to review the matter, but Natale has enough signatures to be on the ballot without the questionable signature, Fiorenzo-Dibble said.
The current auditor, David Griffing, is not running for re-election. But Andy Barkley, a former Warren councilman, submitted valid petitions to run in the Democratic primary and will be on the ballot.
John D. Robertson, who filed petitions challenging Warren Council President Jim Graham in the Democratic primary, withdrew his candidacy Thursday and will not be on the ballot.
In other matters, the elections board — by a 2-1 vote — approved the newly drawn voting precinct boundary lines in much of the county. The boundaries are part of a reduction in the number of voting precincts by 35 for the primary election.
Trumbull County will drop from 208 polling precincts to 173 for the primary and drop another 16 for the fall election to 157.
Each of the voters whose polling place will change will receive a letter in the mail by April 5 indicating their new polling place. Those whose polling place doesn’t change will not get a letter.
Voting against the new precinct boundary lines was Democrat Mark Alberini, who said he objected to the plan because 22 precincts will have more than 1,100 registered voters, despite a promise two years ago that the consolidation would not produce precincts of more than 1,100.
Voting for it were Republicans Kathi Creed and Ron Knight. There is a Democratic vacancy because Niles Mayor Ralph Infante resigned to run for re-election. The Trumbull County Democratic Party Executive Committee voted Thursday to appoint Ken Kubala, 54, of Howland to replace Infante. His appointment requires confirmation from Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted, however, before he can take office.
Also receiving votes were Kathy DiCristofaro, of Niles, 20 votes, and Jason Masternick of Liberty, one vote. Two people abstained.