Unopposed for re-election to the post of Boardman Township Trustee this November are incumbents Thomas Costello and Brad Calhoun. They were elected four years ago, soundly defeating Kathy Miller and Robyn Gallitto, under whose terms, the township fell into a state of disarray.
      To be certain, Mr. Costello and Mr. Calhoun have done a good job in cleaning up the mess.
      Mr. Costello and Mr. Calhoun began their terms four years ago holding their bi-monthly meetings around the township, including at several churches. They invited comments, including criticisms, in an all-out effort to acknowledge citizen input into the operation of township government.
      In sharp contrast to township meetings that were held prior to their election, the community meetings organized by Mr. Costello and Mr. Calhoun, working as a team with trustee Larry Moliterno and Fiscal Officer William Leicht, meetings were orderly, and in addition to the Pledge of Allegiance, several times they opened with a prayer delivered by the host church.
      Under this type of leadership, problems that festered unattended by the previous administration, were promptly addressed.
      Under Miller and Gallitto, police officers fled from the township, depleting the force by almost one-third of its personnel, including special services provided to juveniles.
      Mr. Costello and Mr. Calhoun have served as catalysts to boost police department manpower back to more acceptable levels, most recently re-establishing a Juvenile Diversion Office.
      “We want to try and make sure we make this community a better place, and it’s in better shape when we leave office,” Mr. Costello would frequently observe.
      Over the last four years, a bevy of issues of been addressed.
      •A professional, well-credentialed fire chief, George Brown, replaced Chief James Dorman, and in just a short period of time, abuse of overtime that had been rampant at the Boardman Fire Department, was greatly reduced.
      •Drainage projects, that had been put on hold for years, have been completed.
      •Property maintenance issues have been addressed, blighted buildings have been torn down, and there is currently an all-encompassing re-zoning effort underway designed to protect the integrity of residential neighborhoods. This has been accomplished under the leadership of a well-qualified, new zoning inspector, Sarah Gartland, assisted by Marilyn Kenner, who has brought three decades of experience with the Mahoning County Engineer’s Office, to the Boardman Zoning Department.
      •The public may not be aware, but for several months, Trustees have been engaged in an all-out effort to prevent a very graphic pornography shop from opening here.
      •Working with union negotiators, wages in the township have been frozen for several years.
      •A holiday lighting display has made the BoardmanTownship Administration Building a bright place during the month of December. It used to linger in darkness. Now it provides a boost to the overall community spirit.
      With an increased visibility throughout Boardman Township, support for the Board of Trustees was reflected in the passage of an additional tax levy two years ago by an overwhelming majority, at a time when many, neighboring communities, and towns throughout Ohio were lingering in fiscal uncertainty.
      Mr. Costello and Mr. Calhoun, working together, have restored township government. Their concerns for the betterment of the community they lead is reflected by their lengthy record of accomplishments, in the best interests of the future of Boardman Township.