8 running for commissioner

Petitions filed in heavily contested race for Trumbull County seats

WARREN -- Petition filings for the March 19 primary election that includes a heavily contested race for Trumbull County seats reached deadline on Wednesday.

Five candidates have officially vowed to chase the seat of current Trumbull County Commissioner incumbent candidate Niki Frenchko.

One candidate, Tony Bernard, running as a Republican, chose to challenge incumbent candidate Mauro Cantalamessa, opposite of Frenchko.

"First of all, I don't like what I hear and what I see down at the commissioner's office," Bernard, a Trumbull County Commissioner in the 1970s, said Wednesday.

Bernard continued, "I think we definitely need a more mature and business-like environment down there. You're never going to get anything done with all of the chaos and bickering that's going on there. We need to move ahead, and in order to move ahead we need to change the personnel down there."

Bernard, seeking Cantalamessa's current seat, explained that while Trumbull County has the means to provide for its citizens, "we just have to get down and be better communicators."

"Let's stop the childish ways and get things done for the betterment of Trumbull County."

The former commissioner said while many of the other candidates are running against Frenchko, he chose Cantalamessa's seat because "He's been there for 10 years."

Bernard, owner of Bernard's Garden Mart, expressed, "The taxpayers have paid him $1.2-million in wages to do what? He's had two votes, any time he wanted to propose something, or do something, he's had the opportunity to do it and he just hasn't done it. I label him as a crisis commissioner; he waits for a crisis and then he wants to act. Trumbull County needs to move ahead. And in order to move ahead, he must go."

Cantalamessa, a Democratic nominee, provided that throughout his nine years in office, the groups he's been in have "accomplished things across many levels."

"I'm certainly not going to sit here and disparage someone who doesn't have a record to disparage," Cantalamessa said in response to Bernard's recent remarks. "I'm very proud of my record and I'm very proud of the work that's being done in Trumbull County. And I look forward to it every single day."

The incumbent candidate explained that success as a public servant comes from building relationships "across the board."

"Build relationships within your departments, other agencies, communities and within your board. I think we've been very successful in that respect. I think that professionalism matters. Meaningful dialogue matters, and personal attacks, unfortunately, have become the fad of the day."

Cantalamessa, seeking re-election for Jan. 2, explained that social media has been used as a way for people to "score political points" through such personal attacks. "This has all become so antagonistic, it's become so much more of this vindictive, malicious game, rather than public service," he said.

"I think we need to get back to objective driven dialogue," Cantalamessa said. "I think the majority of the board has done that in the last three years. And I think we've forged a lot of partnerships and cooperation with a lot of different entities over the past eight years."

FIVE AGAINST FRENCHKO

Candidates running for the Jan. 3 term, against Frenchko, expressed similar concerns about the relationships between the commissioners.

John Brown, current Warren City Council president, said he initially filed his petitions in September because "I just decided that I could do a better job than what was being done by Commissioner Frenchko."

Brown, running as a Democratic, said he would like to work with the other two commissioners to better Trumbull County economically. "To have ongoing infighting is just unnecessary," Brown said. "And I can work with anyone, and that's what I plan to do."

Having been in multiple roles on Warren's council, Brown said "Through all of those, I've been to 99.9% of my meetings." He continued, "I go, do the job, research, read my legislation and I make my decision on what I think is best for the majority of the people that put me in office. Being in politics isn't hard. Just do your job."

Brown further emphasized that the county commissioners office has "turned into a full time job," and that he would be a "full-time commissioner."

Brown addressed that economically, he would like to focus on Foxconn in Lordstown and the "tentacles" involved with the industry throughout the county.

"I want to bring competency to the commissioners office, versus chaos," Brown said.

"If I ended up with a lot of competition, the more the merrier," Frenchko said in September. "It's better for the incumbent. Not as much against Mauro though is concerning."

Frenchko could not be reached for further comment Wednesday.

Michele Garman, an eight-year Mathews Board of Education trustee, said the "elephant in the room" is one of her reasons for deciding to enter the election.

"I just think I could behave in a much better manner to support working together instead of being at odds with one another," Garman said. "The other reason is because I've done some work in zoning and a lot of work with my party, and I've been on the school board for eight years. I just feel like a lot of the things I've learned along the way could benefit county work."

Garman, running as a Democrat, mentioned that leaving the school board would be difficult. "My heart is kind of with Mathews," she said. "But in my eight years on the school board, there have been a lot of improvements and changes, and I think during that time, we just promoted working together, making decisions that benefited the students and the school the most."

Garman also addressed opioids in the community and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. "We need to concentrate on what to do to improve things around that," she said.

"Right now, we're considered to be a joke," said Hubbard Trustee Rick Hernandez. "We need to get back to servicing townships with proper water, gas and roads."

Hernandez, running as a Republican, further referred to the ongoing contentious remarks between the three commissioners Frenchko, Cantalamessa and Denny Malloy, who is finishing the first year of his term.

"There should not be so much chaos and bickering. The commissioners had ongoing lawsuits, legal fees, which added up to over $600,000. And Corsa, which handles the county's insurance, is thinking about pulling the plug," Hernandez said.

The Hubbard trustee, who owns Hern Motors, also said he believes his successes as a trustee will carry over because he is not a "career politician."

Daniel E. Polivka, former Democratic Party chairman, said "It is time for progress in the commissioners office again over chaos," in a Wednesday press release.

Polivka, who lost to Republican Frenchko in the 2020 general election, stated:

"It's time to put people first over lawsuits and politics. Many people have urged me to run, and I am humbled by the large amount of support in the community. Proven and tested as a commissioner when I served, and a proven record of progress while serving, is what the people of Trumbull County deserve. I ask, were we better off when I served as your commissioner during, or during the past three years of the current commissioner?"

Polivka continued via text, "My conservative stance on fiscal matters stopped the imposition of the sales tax, and has saved the taxpayers money the past seven years operating at the same level, when they said it couldn't be done. Well we did it."

James J. LaPolla, Howland trustee vice chair, said he is running to continue his success in working with members of the county, while developing the county.

"My 10 years as a trustee have given me experience in leadership to help direct the county in a positive fashion," LaPolla said. "Howland has been able to do this without the drama."

LaPolla, running as a Democrat, said he is looking forward to contributing to the enhancement of infrastructure and business growth in the county, while working alongside the other two commissioners.

"We need more positivity in working with the other commissioners," LaPolla added. "My three main points are leadership, experience and growth without drama."

COMMON PLEAS JUDGE

Judge Andrew D. Logan's seat on the Trumbull County Common Pleas Court bench is open next year, and the county's first assistant prosecuting attorney will be challenged by a former 12-year court of appeals judge seeking the Democratic nomination to succeed him.

Chris D. Becker of Champion, serving as the first assistant prosecutor since 2010, will be running against Thomas R. Wright of Howland, who spent 12 years as a member of the 11th District Court of Appeals before losing reelection last year.

The third candidate for a seat on the bench is Sarah Thomas Kovoor of Howland, running as a Republican. Kovoor lost by 2% to Democrat Cynthia Westcott Rice in a 2020 race for a seat on the 11th District Court of Appeals and by 1% in 2018 for a county domestic / juvenile division judicial position to Democrat Samuel F. Bluedorn.

Logan cannot run for re-election in 2024 because of the state's age-limit law for judges.