Boardman Civic Association hosts annual Candidates and Issues Forum

BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) – The Boardman Civic Association hosted its annual Candidates and Issues forum at the Lariccia Family Community Center at Boardman Park Monday evening.

The association hosts the event whenever there are important local issues and candidates on the ballot — and this is one of those years.

The public library of Youngstown and Mahoning County has a renewal levy on the ballot — as does Boardman Park and Boardman Township.

There’s also a Boardman Township additional levy to pay for ambulance service in Boardman.

And a total of eight candidate races were part of the forum:

• The 33rd District State Senate Seat between Al Cutrona and Marty Hume
• The 59th District State Representative seat between Tex Fischer and Laura Schaeffer
• Mahoning County Commissioner, Anthony Trafficanti versus Jennifer Ciccone
• Mahoning County Commissioner, Dave Ditzler facing Geno DeFabio
• Clerk of Courts, Dan Dascenzo against Michael Ciccone
• Mahoning County Prosecutor, between Gina DeGenova and Lynn Maro
• Mahoning County Recorder, Noralynn Palermo against Richard Scarsella
• Mahoning County Treasurer, Dan Yemma and Wade Calhoun

Al Cutrona started the discussion on the increases in property taxes.

“I will go in there and I’m going to shake things up. I’ve already passed two bills out of the house. Well, guess what? They’re in the senate now and so am I,” Cutrona said.

But Laura Schaeffer, a Democrat running for state representative in the 59 district, blamed the lack of property tax changes on Republicans in the Ohio Legislature.

“And yet even with a super majority last year, having both control of the house and senate and the governor — nothing was done,” Schaeffer said.

Cutrona’s opponent, Democrat Marty Hume, was also critical of state Republicans. One example was their decision to ban gender-affirming medical care for minors.

“I support the idea that we should have a moderate middle governing our country. I also refer to it as a sane center,” said Hume.

Schaeffer’s opponent, Republican state representative Tex Fischer, said we need more energy to supply a growing Ohio economy.

“And the best way to do that is to reform the Public Utilities Commission. We saw how corrupt and inept that entity was through House Bill 6,” Fischer said.

Republican candidate for Mahoning County Commissioner, Geno DiFabio, was critical of the number of people employed by the county.

“Now isn’t that a problem that our government, our tax dollars are the second largest employer — shouldn’t we be able to do better?” DiFabio said.

Democrat Commissioner and DiFabio’s opponent, Dave Ditzler responded to DiFabio.

“So when you’re electing a county commissioner, you’re basically hiring the chief executive officer of a $300 million a year corporation,” Ditzler said.

Democrat Mahoning County Prosecutor and candidate, Gina DeGenova, touted her successes.

“We have one rule and that’s to follow the law. Since I took office, convictions are up and dismissals are down,” she said.

However, her opponent Lynn Maro was critical of the prosecutor’s office.

“There is a laundry list of cases that have been dismissed or vacated on appeal because the rules weren’t followed,” said Maro.

The Boardman Civic Association’s candidates and issues forum has become an election-time tradition that has been going on now for a better part of 30 years.

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