Turnout low for removal effort

Signatures fall short as anti-Frenchko group gathers in Warren

WARREN -- An effort to generate support and signatures for the removal of Trumbull County Commissioner Niki Frenchko had, at best, a paltry public response on Wednesday.

Less than a half-dozen people showed up for a planned gathering on the grass outside of the Trumbull County Courthouse about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. A planned protest that was to take place from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Wednesday had only three people show up with anti-Frenchko signs.

The group was scheduled to stay on Warren's Courthouse Square until 5 p.m. Wednesday to collect signatures of registered voters -- but abandoned those plans because so few of their supporters showed up.

"We were disappointed with the number of people that came out," said Michael Shrodek, an active member of a group working to get the first-term commissioner removed from office. "We sent invitations to people on our mailing list about yesterday's and today's events. We had people who said they would attend. It is disappointing."

The group, which has a Facebook page -- Citizens Against Niki Frenchko -- had asked Trumbull residents to meet its supporters outside of the Trumbull County Administration Building, 160 High St., to sign the petition to have her removed.

It needs just more than 10,000 valid signatures from Trumbull County voters to have her removed. As of Wednesday morning it had 2,100 signatures.

"We had one person collect more than 600 signatures, two collect 200 signatures each and the remainder of the petitions came from people who collected one or two dozen sets of signatures each," Shrodek said.

Michael Verich, a former state representative and a supporter of the group, on Tuesday, said it expected to continue to collect signatures throughout the summer during various outdoor and community events.

Frenchko, who worked late Tuesday evening and was at the Trumbull County commissioners' meeting Wednesday, was dismissive of the group's effort.

"When recycled … politicians like Mike Verich and other establishment cronies are leading a charge against you, you know you're doing something right," she said. "It seems that they've underestimated the fact the people of Trumbull County want checks and balances, and that is what I've been trying to accomplish."

The commissioner has maintained she has worked to make the commissioners' office more efficient, legally compliant and accountable.

Having already stated her intent to run for re-election, Frenchko said she does not mind those people wanting to have her removed keeping her name on their signs. It brings her more attention.