YOUNGSTOWN — Dan Dascenzo, who is running unopposed in the Democratic primary for Mahoning County Clerk of Courts, was appointed to the position by the Mahoning County Democratic Party Central Committee in September and took over Oct. 1 to fill the remainder of the term of former longtime clerk of court Tony Vivo. That term expires Jan. 5, 2025. Vivo retired Aug. 26 after nearly 30 years as clerk of courts.

The Republican county clerk of courts race is the lone contested primary for an executive branch position in county government.

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY

Republicans David Shaffer of Struthers and Michael P. Ciccone of Austintown are running to earn their party’s nomination to face Dascenzo in the November general election. Neither Ciccone nor Shaffer responded to multiple requests from The Vindicator asking them to provide information on their campaign or state their goals for operating the clerk of courts office.

Shaffer unsuccessfully ran for the position in 2016, according to Vindicator files.

Last month, the Mahoning County Republican Party endorsed David Shaffer in the race.

Backing Shaffer for clerk of courts “was not a difficult decision,” Tex Fischer, the party’s first vice chairman, told The Vindicator.

Ciccone angered several party leaders — particularly Party Chairman Tom McCabe, who also is director of the county board of elections — when he filed a court complaint contending there was massive fraud in the Struthers Municipal Court race in November that saw Jennifer Ciccone, a Republican, lose by 10.2% to James Melone, a Democrat.

The case was filed Dec. 1 and voluntarily dismissed a week later.

DASCENZO

Dascenzo, who was a Youngstown deputy law director at the time he became clerk of courts and also served from 2008 to 2018 as a Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Domestic Division magistrate, offered up some ideas recently for how the clerk of courts office can advance.

He has begun to implement a program with the cooperation of the Ohio Attorney General and the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office to collect unpaid court costs, fees and restitution to victims, Dascenzo stated in a written outline given to The Vindicator.

It would be applied to civil and criminal matters in the county common pleas court and the county courts in Austintown, Boardman, Sebring and Canfield. Dascenzo said he expects the program to “significantly increase the potential for collection of unpaid court costs and restitution to victims.” He said it will not cost additional money to operate. He hopes to have it running by June 1.

COURIER SERVICE

He is also implementing a title courier service for high-volume auto dealers in Mahoning County. Retail auto sales is a “fairly significant component of our local economy, generating almost $40 million per year in sale and use taxes,” Dascenzo stated in the outline.

The program “would provide a service to the high volume auto dealers in the county and give them the opportunity to operate more efficiently and effectively,” Dascenzo stated. One additional assistant supervisory employee will be added to “handle the bulk of the duties associated with the courier service.” The employee will be paid $23.45 per hour.

“This program should increase the number of auto titles we process, which in turn increases the amount of revenue generated for title services rendered,” he said.

SATURDAY SERVICE

He also is “exploring having Saturday hours of operation in the title department, from 8 a.m. to noon, with a partial staff to serve the public better, particularly those who work during the week and cannot get to the title department during normal business hours,” Dascenzo said. Saturday hours are still in the “exploratory stage,” he said. He hopes to have the courier service up and running by April 1.

He said the clerk of courts office is “in the process of upgrading our website to provide the public with more useful information on court processes and title processes.” He said the office is also implementing electronic case filing in the four area courts and will be submitting grant applications to receive funding to help cover the cost.

THE OFFICE

Dascenzo also offered facts and figures about what the clerk of courts office does in the outline.

The clerk of courts office is the “official record keeper and statutory agent of Mahoning County’s adult justice system” and “is responsible for processing automobile titles, watercraft titles, applications for passports and the collection of sales tax on the sales of automobiles in the county,” he stated.

The office consists of two departments, the legal division and the title division. The legal division operates primarily in support of the adult court system, including the Ohio 7th District Court of Appeals, the general and domestic-relations divisions of the county common pleas courts and area courts.

The clerk’s office supports the courts by “managing the court’s non-judicial operations,” Dascenzo stated. Those include providing public access to records, processing the initiation of any court action involving civil, criminal or domestic-relations court matters; receiving, recording and preserving documents filed with the court; collecting fees, fines, and restitution as ordered by the court; disbursing court-ordered fees or restitution; administering oaths; collecting bonds; and issuing summons, subpoenas and warrants.

The title division of the Clerk of Courts office serves residents and businesses by processing and issuing Ohio Certificates of Title for ownership for automobiles, watercraft and recreational vehicles. The title division collects sales and use tax on auto sales in the county.

The Clerk of Courts office is funded partially by the county’s general fund and partially by revenue generated for services rendered by the office.

Mahoning County Clerk of Courts

Democrat

Dan Dascenzo

AGE: 55

PRIORITIES: I take my oath and my role in our local justice system very seriously and I intend to conduct myself in a manner that will hopefully make Mahoning County proud. To that end, I have already taken steps to implement programs within the clerk’s office to increase transparency of our operations, including the office’s revenue and expenditures; to increase services to residents and businesses; and to diligently undertake the clerk’s statutory duty related to the collection of court-ordered costs and fees.

PREVIOUS ELECTED OFFICE: None.

Republicans

David Shaffer of Struthers and Michael P. Ciccone of Austintown are running to earn their party’s nomination to face Dascenzo in the November general election.

Neither Ciccone or Shaffer responded to multiple requests from The Vindicator asking them to provide information on their campaign or their goals for operating the clerk of courts office.