Over the past four years, Boardman Township’s three-member Board of Trustees has worked diligently to address drainage issues and maintain manpower in the police and fire departments.
      Efforts on drainage issues have been wide-ranging, including completion of over $3 million in stormwater projects, as well as obtaining some $1.5 million in grant monies for stormwater projects this year and into next year.
      Efforts at maintaining township services has been accomplished despite the loss of some $3 million in state subsidies.
      In addition, the Board of Trustees has collaborated with the Boardman Local School Board, Mahoning County Commissioners and the Western Reserve Port Authority to insure a $30 million capital improvement program at the Southern Park Mall was undertaken, thus preserving one of the biggest assets in terms of property taxes and employment opportunities in the township and Mahoning County.
      On Tues., Nov. 2, voters will go to the polls to vote on two seats on the Board of Trustees. Incumbents Tom Costello and Brad Calhoun are seeking re-election. They are opposed by Jason Pavone and Tabitha Fitz-Patrick.
      Mr. Pavone has stated his belief that Boardman Township should become a city; and says he does not support tax abatements.
      Mrs. Fitz-Patrick says she wants to build a sidewalk along Southern Blvd., from Western Reserve Rd. all the way down to Market St. in Youngstown; and she also calls for the installation of central air conditioning in Boardman Local School buildings.
      We staunchly believe township government is the closest form of government to the people it serves, and creating a city would cost more taxpayer dollars than is currently doled-out for government services, as well as add additional, needless layers of government for taxpayers to contend with.
      And, do we really want to spend millions of dollars so residents can take a walk down Southern Blvd. from Western Reserve Rd. into Youngstown?
      Further, there is a distinction between a school board member and a township trustee, who has no business placing a priority on the public school system’s HVAC system.
      Most important to the welfare of Boardman Township, in addition to preserving its tax base, is support for the Boardman Police Department, where manpower has been held at roughly 60 officers for the past quarter century.
      But there is a big distinction between now and 25 years ago, when police answered about 20,000 calls a year. According to Mr. Calhoun and Police Chief Todd Werth, the police department now responds to upwards of 70,000 calls per year. Those numbers alone seem to dictate Boardman Township needs more police officers, who are now with increasing frequency, forced to delay responding to some calls because of lack of manpower.
      Adding manpower at the Boardman Police Department suggests additional funding is needed, as well as changes in the salary of new hires at the BPD, and perhaps some restructuring in Civil Service rules.
      Acknowledging the diligent efforts of current Trustees Tom Costello, Brad Calhoun as well as Larry Moliterno in addressing drainage issues and their efforts at re-writing zoning codes in an effort to preserve neighborhoods in the township; campaigns by challengers for seats held by both incumbents fall way short of the mark.
      Mr. Costello and Mr. Calhoun stress their efforts to work as a team, and in harmony, to keep Boardman Township A Nice Place to Call Home.
      Both are best-suited to deal with improving manpower at the Boardman Police Department, we suggest, by working in harmony with the PD’s administration and labor unions.
      In the best interests of Boardman Township, incumbents Tom Costello and Brad Calhoun deserve re-election. They have worked hard to maintain current levels of service, keep our neighborhoods safe, maintain good roads, and serve residents and businesses.
      On Nov. 2, vote to return Tom Costello and Brad Calhoun to seats on the Boardman Township Board of Trustees.