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Youngstown council President Sammarone to run for re-election
VINDICATOR EXCLUSIVE
YOUNGSTOWN
After leaning against seeking another term as Youngstown council president, Charles Sammarone said he is committed to running for re-election.
Sammarone, a Democrat, said he changed his mind after receiving a letter signed by every member of city council – except Mike Ray, D-4th – asking that he not retire. The letter was given to Sammarone during Wednesday’s council meeting. Ray wasn’t in attendance at the meeting, but Sammarone said the councilman has verbally asked him to seek another four-year term as president.
“They’ve been asking me for a few months to stay, so I said, ‘Give me a letter,’ and they did,” Sammarone said. “I enjoy what I’m doing, but I don’t want to do it if people don’t want me around. They do, so I’m going to run.”
Sammarone told The Vindicator in June: “I doubt I’ll run again. I’ll be 75 when I’m done [with this term]. I don’t want to be around when I’m approaching 80.”
But Sammarone now says, “I’m going to run. My health is good. We’ve got four new council members [who started serving in January of this year], so I need to stick around and help them out.”
Councilman Julius T. Oliver, D-1st, one of those new members, said he is backing Sammarone because of “his experience, insight and everything he brings to the table. He is needed, especially by us newer council members. We want to keep the family together. Everyone is working so well together.”
Councilman T.J. Rodgers, D-2nd, said Sammarone “does a good job as council president. We are unanimous in our support of him. He does a good job leading when necessary, and has the experience and knowledge to remain a good council president.”
Former Council President John R. Swierz, a Democrat, previously had announced he would run for the position.
With Sammarone planning to seek re-election, Swierz said, “I’m putting anything right now on hold. If he continues to run, I would probably not enter the race. But anything can happen between now and then. I get along good with Chuck. If he’s going to run, it’s most likely I wouldn’t.”
The filing deadline for the May 2, 2017, Democratic primary is Feb. 1.
The position is largely ceremonial with the primary duty being the person who runs council meetings. Council president doesn’t get a vote, but the person in that seat is the successor to the mayor should the mayor leave before his term expires.
That’s happened only once in the 93 years since the city charter was adopted with that provision. That was when Jay Williams resigned Aug. 1, 2011, to join the President Barack Obama administration and Sammarone moved up to mayor from council president, serving 29 months.
The job pays $28,117 with full medical benefits.