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Niles voters oust 24-year mayor, Ralph Infante
By Ed Runyan
NILES
The financial crisis and criminal investigations that hit Niles in the past year apparently were enough to keep longtime Mayor Ralph Infante from winning a new term.
Infante, who has been mayor the past 24 years, lost to Democratic challenger Thomas A. Scarnecchia who had 54 percent of the votes. Scarnecchia will have no challenger in November unless someone runs as a write-in candidate.
Scarnecchia, a former 14-year councilman at-large, was the first challenger Infante has had in 16 years.
Scarnecchia, 73, said before the election that Infante, 59, has “ultimate responsibility” for the city being placed in fiscal emergency last October amid the water department running a $2 million deficit.
“There was not good stewardship there,” Scarnecchia said. “The mayor is the CEO of the whole city. Everything should go through the mayor. He should know what’s going on.”
Scarnecchia said by telephone Tuesday that he is excited to get started as mayor, even though that is quite a few months away.
“I’m glad its over,” he said of the election, adding that even he is surprised that he was able to defeat a longtime incumbent like Infante, “but 24 years was enough.”
He thanked Infante “for all the work he did,” and added, “I know we have a lot of work to do.”
The Ohio Auditor’s Office also criticized the city in a 2012 audit released last December for failing to properly supervise Phyllis Wilson, the former assistant treasurer, who admitted stealing $142,772 dating back to 2009.
A second employee, Heidi Powell, 33, of Niles, was indicted in September on one felony count of theft in office, accused of stealing $731 from her job with the Niles Income Tax Department, which is under part-time Treasurer Robert Swauger. Her charges are pending.
After Powell’s arrest, Infante said he was changing city policy to ensure that background checks are done on every employee in the future to better prevent the hiring of people with previous criminal charges or convictions.
Another city employee, Michael Marrara, is facing charges of stealing $97,000 from Mount Carmel Church in Niles but his case is pending, and Marrara remains on the city’s payroll. But Infante received approval from city council in December to suspend without pay any future city employee charged or convicted of a felony.
As for his plans, Scarnecchia said he would “totally tear through every department, every piece of the budget” and bring businesses to all of the city and not just along U.S. Route 422, and to redevelop commercial properties.
Warren, meanwhile, featured a number of close races, including for auditor, to replace David Griffing, who is retiring. Andy Barkley, a former city councilman, was defeated by just 35 votes by Anthony Natale.
7th Ward Councilman Eddie Colbert, meanwhile, outpolled James Valesky for council member at large.