WARREN — With plenty of candidates lining as much as problem Trumbull County Commissioner Niki Frenchko, she is giving consideration to as a substitute difficult Mauro Cantalamessa, the opposite incumbent up for re-election subsequent 12 months.
“I slayed a giant by beating Dan (Polivka in 2020), I ran Frank (Fuda) out, so why not cut the head off the snake by getting rid of Mauro?” Frenchko mentioned. “I’m contemplating it because Democrats and Republicans alike are sick of the Cantalamessa way of doing things.”
In response, Cantalamessa mentioned: “If the Cantalamessa way of doing things means owning a business, paying taxes in Trumbull County and employing literally hundreds of people over a 50-year period then I’m not sure what Commissioner Frenchko is thinking about. I’m not sure what the continual attacks of my family has to do with this race. I think it’s classless and unprofessional.”
Frenchko, a Republican serving her first four-year time period as commissioner, and Cantalamessa, a Democrat who’s been a commissioner since 2014, are up for re-election subsequent 12 months.
The two don’t get alongside, having quite a few disputes.
Frenchko additionally has points with Commissioner Denny Malloy, a fellow Republican, and had them with Fuda, a Democrat who helped her in her 2020 race towards Polivka.
Fuda, who steadily argued with Frenchko after she obtained into workplace, selected final 12 months to not search re-election.
“It’s been a challenge to work with Niki,” Cantalamessa mentioned. “You don’t want it to be personal. But with her, there’s an inability to do that. There’s resentment and personal animus that makes it difficult to work with someone who doesn’t want to be professional.”
Cantalamessa mentioned there are occasions he’s disagreed with different county commissioners, calling it “healthy and good.”
But with Frenchko, he mentioned it’s completely different.
“When it turns into personal animosity or accusations with half-truths, it’s an issue,” he mentioned.
Frenchko has pulled nominating petitions for her seat and for Cantalamessa’s, and mentioned she hasn’t determined which to hunt.
In simply the previous two months, the commissioners have accredited settlements of $250,000 and $225,000 with two staff over lawsuits filed claiming Frenchko harassed them.
Asked about Frenchko’s potential problem, Cantalamessa mentioned: “It doesn’t change what I do.”
Frenchko mentioned she is a doable run towards Cantalamessa as a result of “I don’t want to be in the same situation where I’m working with the same two clowns,” that means Cantalamessa and Malloy.
GOP OPPOSITION
If Frenchko runs for the seat she holds, she’s going to face Republican opposition. Hubbard Township Trustee Rick Hernandez, who misplaced the 2022 GOP major for a commissioner’s spot, mentioned he positively goes to be a candidate for Frenchko’s workplace.
“My primary reason for running is the chaos and the toxicity created in that office” by Frenchko, Hernandez mentioned.
Hernandez mentioned he’s “amazed” that Cantalamessa and Malloy “can get anything done” with Frenchko serving.
“She definitely doesn’t have leadership skills and people skills,” he mentioned. “I have that plus empathy and I’d create a good work environment rather than what is currently happening” with Frenchko. “She creates chaos and embarrassment. What we currently have is division. She’s not right for the job.”
Frenchko dismissed Hernandez as “using the same buzzwords the Democrats use against me.”
Hernandez was elected in 2018 as a Democratic central committee member. He dissociated himself from the Democratic Party on Jan. 24, 2022, a number of weeks earlier than the submitting deadline and filed for the Republican major, unsuccessfully operating towards Malloy for the GOP nomination final 12 months for commissioner. Hernandez mentioned he not agreed with the nationwide Democratic celebration’s positions on plenty of points, and says he has relationship with Cantalamessa and Malloy.
DEMOCRATS
On the Democratic aspect, John Brown, Warren City Council president who beforehand served as a Warren 2nd and third Ward councilman and councilman at-Large, mentioned he’s going to run for Frenchko’s seat. He says the fixed combating among the many commissioners and a few of its workers is pointless.
Also, Polivka, a Democrat who served 16 years as commissioner earlier than dropping by 4.66 % in 2020 to Frenchko, mentioned he’s “giving very strong consideration” to operating for Frenchko’s spot.
“The county is in a sad state of affairs,” he mentioned. “It’s been a derailment with county government, and I want to get the train back on the tracks. It’s not good for our county or for businesses.”
Polivka added: “Niki Frenchko’s craziness has cost Trumbull County taxpayers” plenty of money.
Frenchko mentioned of Polivka: “I’m still cleaning up the mess of decades of issues from Dan. How unfortunate it would be to move backwards with Dan. It’s troubling.”
EVEN MORE
Others who’ve taken out nominating petitions for Frenchko’s commissioner seat embrace Democrat Michele Garman, a Mathews faculty board member; Douglas Austin Parker Jr. of Howland as a Republican; Corey Hovance of Howland, president of the Warren Italian-American Heritage Festival, as an unbiased; and Marcella Simoudis of Howland as a Republican.
Like Frenchko, Simoudis took out petitions for each commissioner spots.
Barry Profato of Niles, a former councilman within the metropolis, has petitions to run for an unspecified commissioner seat as an unbiased.
Dec. 20 is the submitting deadline for the March 19, 2024, major. The day earlier than the first is the deadline for independents to file for the Nov. 5, 2024, basic election.
‘MORE THE MERRIER’
Frenchko mentioned if she runs for her seat, she wouldn’t be bothered by all the challengers.
“If I ended up with a lot of competition, the more the merrier,” she mentioned “It’s better for the incumbent. Not as many against Mauro though is concerning.”
Tony Bernard of Howland, a former county commissioner within the Seventies and proprietor of Bernard’s Garden in Champion, mentioned he’s planning to run as a Republican towards Cantalamessa.
“There are a lot of people not satisfied with the way things are going on” within the county, Bernard mentioned. “We need a different approach in the commissioners’ office. We need to change the tone.”
As for difficult Cantalamessa, Bernard mentioned: “After 10 years, if you can’t do the job, what can you do with four more years? It’s time for a new direction. He’s been there long enough.”
Cantalamessa mentioned the county has completed rather a lot throughout his time as commissioner, together with serving to small businesses, increasing sewer strains, maintaining the county’s gross sales tax low, rising broadband access, rising infrastructure and he’s labored “in a bipartisan manner with Denny Malloy.”
Regarding Bernard, Cantalamessa mentioned, “I have a record of real change and bipartisanship. He can talk all the talking points, but we’re moving Trumbull County forward. He doesn’t know half the issues. We need forward thinkers.”
If Frenchko runs for Cantalamessa’s seat, she’d face Bernard within the Republican major.
She referred to as Bernard, Polivka and Brown “recycled politicians.”
Frenchko additionally mentioned the county Republican celebration management doesn’t again her and the celebration must be “focused on filling the slate with good candidates.” Frenchko mentioned the celebration hasn’t invited her to the previous two officer conferences.
Frenchko mentioned she is “disagreeable,” however is difficult the way in which issues are carried out for the betterment of the county.
“I need to work with people who have the same desire to improve the county and not maintain the status quo,” she mentioned. “They’ve tried everything to get me to quit, leave, go away and none of it is working. I’m the only one trying to bring the county into the current century and I’m called the problem one. It’s difficult to be an experienced administrator in a swamp of politics.”
