McNally, Brown face off on Vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown Mayor John A. McNally touted the successes of his administration while Jamael Tito Brown, his Democratic primary challenger, said more improvements need to be done.

The two squared off today in a 75-minute debate that aired live on Vindy.com and served as The Vindicator’s editorial board endorsement meeting with the candidates. It was the first time the newspaper editorial board aired its endorsement meeting live.

The questions ranged from public trust to the city’s impending budgetary crisis to Youngstown’s racial divide.

McNally, convicted last year of four misdemeanors for his involvement in the Oakhill Renaissance Place scandal when he was a Mahoning County commissioner, acknowledged he “made mistakes” in that matter, but said he voters are much more concerned about the job he’s doing as mayor.

Brown said it’s an important issue in the campaign and that restoring trust in city government is one of his top priorities if he is elected mayor.

Brown also said McNally failed to properly discipline 26 city water department workers recently convicted for falsifying their training hours. McNally said each of the workers saw their pay reduced and are good employees who “did something stupid.”