Candidates speak out at political forum
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STEUBENVILLE -- The Ohio Valley Business and Professional Womens Club did its part Monday to make sure voters go to the polls with the information they need to make an informed decision.
BPW hosted its annual political forum Monday in the Steubenville High School Auditorium. Candidates in the three contested races -- two county commission races and Clerk of Court -- fielded questions, while four others facing no opposition had a chance to talk to voters about what they do and why they do it.
Voters also learned about Issue 1, proposed gerrymandering reforms, as well as Levy 34, which would provide funding locally for mental health, alcohol and drug addiction programming through the Jefferson County Prevention and Recovery Board.
Participating in the question-answer session were:
• Republican Tony Morelli, the incumbent, and his Democratic challenger, Todd M. Mazzaferro;
• Charles Newburn, a Democrat, battling Republican Ron Kleineke for the commission seat being vacated by longtime Commissioner Dave Maple. Maple chose not to run for re-election;
• Candy Newburn, a Democrat running, who is taking on Republican incumbent Andrew Plesich for Jefferson County Clerk of Courts. Plesich was unable to attend the event due to a prior commitment.
Running unopposed, but still afforded a chance to talk to voters, were incumbent Prosecuting Attorney Jane Hanlin, a Democrat; Brian Scarpone, a Republican, the lone candidate who is running to replace longtime county Treasurer Ray Agresta, a Democrat who chose not to seek re-election; county Engineer Eric Hilty, independent; and incumbent county Recorder Scott M. Renforth, a Republican.
State Rep. Ron Ferguson, R-Wintersville, and Kevan Brown, business manager and financial secretary for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 246, kicked the evening off, sharing their thoughts on Issue 1.
Ferguson urged voters to say no, saying the proposal "would actually make it worse" because bureaucrats "who aren't elected or accountable to you at all" will draw the redistricting maps.
"It sets up an unelected bureaucracy that will not be held accountable by voters and those folks will then be drawing the maps," Ferguson said.
Ferguson also said three federal judges ruled similar legislation passed in Michigan unconstitutional "... on a racial basis because it broke up communities and forced them ... to be very spread out."
Brown said the statewide vote comes as a result of a citizen-led initiative aiming to establish a 15-member non-partisan redistricting commission to replace the current system, which he pointed out has been ruled unconstitutional seven times for gerrymandering.
"The proposal is about making sure our voting districts are fair and independent," he said. "It's something that Republicans and Democrats should support. Right now, the way districts are drawn, they're controlled by politicians ... who have incentive to carve out districts that benefit themselves and their party. That's what we call 'gerrymandering' and it's a big deal."
"It's not a partisan issue," Brown added. "It's about fairness, about making sure your vote counts as much as anybody else's."
Prevention and Recovery Board Executive Director Bill Holt said the levy was first passed in 1976 "and has been renewed ever since but has never been replaced."
"We are still operating with 1976 dollars, and by voting to replace the levy, we can make a significant impact on more residents," he said, explaining they plan to focus on "increasing crisis care for kids and prevention efforts."
"If we can (get) kids while they're young, we feel it will really help them down the road," he said.
The 0.5-mill levy will generate about $938,000 annually for Prevention and Recovery. Homeowners would pay $18 a year per $100,000 of raised property valuation, Holt said.
Mazzoferro, Morelli, Kleineke and the Newburns told voters their roots in the community go deep and underscored the experiences they believe have helped prepare them for the challenges of public office.
They also answered a range of questions from the moderators, Ross Gallabrese, executive editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times; Steven Moore of WTRF-TV; and Dylan Clelland of WTOV-TV.