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Four candidates vie for one trustee seat, same amount for two school board spots
By ROBERT CONNELLY
CANFIELD
Four candidates running for one trustee position are focused on the roads and infrastructure improvements in the township. Four candidates for two school-board positions want to improve communication between residents and district officials along with technology upgrades.
TOWNSHIP
Incumbent Stephen Maszczak is challenged by former trustee Tony Bettile; Joe Paloski, who previously has run for a trustee seat; and David Knarr. The focus of every candidate was on township road and infrastructure improvements.
Bettile brought up past issues, specifically his issue with now-retired zoning inspector Dave Morrison being given back a week of pay after previously having that week suspended. Bettile, while in office, had put a program on Morrison’s computer that monitored his work, and Bettile argued that Morrison wasn’t working while at work.
Bettile specifically called out Maszczak, who had supported the suspension but reversed course last spring and gave Morrison his pay back.
The township “basically gave him a paid vacation,” Bettile said. He was “not totally thrilled about the current trustee [Maszczak]” changing his vote.
Maszczak talked about changing his vote. “It seemed to me that this person [Morrison] had done a good job for us for many years. He was punished, and I felt like it had gone far enough,” the incumbent said. “I felt as though it may have been ... an ulterior motive.”
Morrison and Bettile ran against each other in the last trustee race.
Knarr said of Morrison’s suspension: “That was part of a personal vendetta ... because he ran for a trustee spot.”
INFRASTRUCTURE
Paloski says he would hire a part-time road worker so that there would be two road crews to repair roads. There was not a paving program for township roads this year – Maszczak cited the high price of rock salt last year as the reason – and the roads “are passable, but every day ... it gets behind.”
Bettile and Maszczak, however, agreed the township roads are in good shape, and much like other communities, resident complaints of roads are focused on county roads.
All four candidates talked about working with neighboring governments, or the county, to pool resources. Maszczak pointed to the joint economic development district created between the township and Canfield city as a way to work with neighboring governments.
One main economic driver that was discussed was a water tower planned for the township. Both Knarr and Bettile talked about economic development in the U.S. Route 224 corridor.
Maszczak explained that the water-tower project is out of the township’s hands. That’s because it is a county project, and the Mahoning County commissioners approved the $105,000 purchase of 0.9 acre near the exit ramp from northbound state Route 11 onto 224.
SCHOOL BOARD
Incumbents Phil Bova and Lee Frey both emphasized their tenures with Canfield schools. Frey is a former athletic director and has “interacted with students, teachers and administration of the Canfield schools since 1974,” Frey said.
Bova said he had been a high-school administrator for 18 years and taught chemistry at Canfield High School.
Those two are challenged by Mike Sorice, a 2013 Canfield High School graduate; and David Wilkeson, a technology businessman.
Frey, Wilkeson and Sorice talked about communication between the district and parents. Frey said he wants “to continue to listen to the community and parental concerns and respond to them in an appropriate manner.”
Meanwhile, Sorice argued that he has “seen firsthand the problems that students face. I understand both what works and what does not work, because I have been in the desks that the current students are sitting in right now.”
Sorice also wants to create a “community-outreach program” for students to become more knowledgeable about the area and residents.
Wilkeson wants to promote transparency and improve communication between the community and administration. His main point is to “promote more science, technology, engineering and math [STEM]- related opportunities for children at all grade levels,” Wilkeson said.
Frey, Wilkeson and Sorice all talked about needing to stay within the district’s budget. Frey said: “We must make our local funds last as long as possible and keep our promise of not coming back to the voters early.”
“I recognize the need for controlling district costs so that taxpayers are not further burdened,” Wilkeson said.
Sorice wants to hire a full-time grant writer to “help the school district to finance new programs, pay for busing and hire excellent teachers, without having to increase property taxes – which are already much too high.”
Bova said his top priority if elected is to “provide the young people of our community with the best education possible in an efficient manner.”
CITY
In Canfield city, Councilman John Morvay is seeking re-election, and resident Joe LoCicero was the only candidate to file for the open seat on city council. Current Councilman Steve Rogers will vacate that seat at the end of this year due to term limits.