BOARDMAN — A lack of adequate ambulance service remains an ongoing problem for the township, compounded by difficulty in training new paramedics because of the COVID-19 pandemic, an official says.

“It is a very scary time, by our standards,” township Administrator Jason R. Loree said.

Loree made his case for passing a levy on the Nov. 5 general election ballot that he and others contend will resolve much of that problem, as he spoke during the annual Candidates and Issues forum Monday evening in Boardman Park’s Lariccia Family Community Center.

Hosting the two-hour informational gathering was the Boardman Civic Association.

An estimated 150 people attended the dinner and forum, at which eight candidate races were represented, allowing incumbents and challengers about three minutes each to outline why they would be the best choices for those positions.

Loree urged the passage of a five-year levy to fund improved ambulance service in the township of about 40,000. The measure would generate $4.5 million annually and cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $13 per month.

In 2015, Boardman had 11 ambulance companies. Today, that number has shrunk to two because many of them have gone out of business, leaving a considerable gap in coverage for the nearly 24-square-mile township, he said.

Township Trustee Thomas P. Costello has said that if the levy passes, residents will be “soft billed,” meaning that only what insurance companies pay would be accepted, and taxpayers would not be billed the difference.

Several of the candidates addressed the issue of county property taxes. Leading off that discussion was state Sen. Al Cutrona, R-Canfield, who said he was instrumental in passing two such bills when he was in the Ohio House of Representatives, both of which are being considered in the state Senate.

Cutrona also said he helped secure funds to alleviate Boardman’s chronic flooding problems, as well as for the Forest Lawn Stormwater Park that will be on the 14.6-acre site of the former Market Street Elementary School, and Akron Children’s Hospital’s new emergency room center.

Martin Hume, former Youngstown law director and Cutrona’s Democratic opponent, took issue with what he sees as extremists in the Ohio Legislature and elsewhere who are trying to ban certain books and take away women’s reproductive rights.

He called for a “moderate middle” to run the nation, referring to it as “a sane center.”

Hume also told his audience he supports Issue 1 to end gerrymandering in the state, as well as the Homestead Exemption program to allow Ohio’s senior citizens and those with disabilities who meet annual set income requirements to reduce their property tax burden.

State Rep. Tex Fischer, R-Boardman, who’s vying for the 59th District House of Representatives seat, said more forms of energy need to be used to supply the state’s growing economy. Enbridge Gas Ohio, formerly Dominion Energy Ohio, is trying to raise rates by 30%, said Fischer, who added he has received considerable feedback regarding high property taxes.

Laura Schaeffer, Fischer’s Democratic opponent who also sits on the Beloit Village Council, placed the blame for the property tax situation on Republicans in the state Legislature.

She also accused the state GOP of trying to amend Issues 1 and 2 to the state Constitution that relate to protecting the right to reproductive freedoms and legalizing the use of marijuana, respectively, even though a majority of Ohioans voted for them to be enshrined in the state constitution.

“I place a high priority on treating others with respect and dignity,” county Commissioner Anthony T. Traficanti, who is running against Jennifer Ciccone, said.

Traficanti added that under his watch, the county has maintained a balanced budget and, thanks to the passage of a five-year, 0.75% sales tax, which brings in about $32 million per year, the Mahoning County jail has remained open.

Traficanti also pushed for giving residents 70 and older whose homes are paid off “a pass on property taxes.”

Ciccone did not attend Monday’s forum.

Geno DiFabio, the Republican candidate who is challenging incumbent David C. Ditzler for county commissioner, criticized what he said are too many county employees. He also was critical of the estimated $4.6 million in new investments and construction in Mahoning and Trumbull counties, saying a disproportionate amount of that was spent in Trumbull County, with “crumbs” for Mahoning.

Ditzler said that as one of three commissioners, he is in effect a county chief executive officer who is in charge of overseeing “a $300 million a year corporation.”

He also touted the Valley Vision 2050 project that is underway.

Late last year, commissioners allocated $1 million from the general fund to the regional economic development initiative.

Making their pitches for the Mahoning County Clerk of Courts office were the Republican, Michael Ciccone, no relation to Jennifer Ciccone, and the Democrat incumbent, Dan Dascenzo.

Ciccone said that his 10 years as a self-employed attorney places him in a position to bring a unique perspective to the office, and that he would refuse to run for any other elected position during his four-year term.

Ensuring transparency and “an honest day’s work” were top priorities for Dascenzo, who added that since he took office nearly a year ago, he has continually been searching for ways to be more innovative and fiscally responsible.

“We have one rule, and that’s to follow the law,” county Prosecutor Gina DeGenova said. “Since I took office (in early 2023, to fill the remainder of Prosecutor Paul Gains’ term), convictions are up and dismissals are down.”

DeGenova also touted a 98% conviction rate under her watch, as well as the creation of a Special Victims Unit, a self-defense program and Blue Envelope initiative to help law enforcement be better aware of those they encounter during traffic stops, for example, who are on the autism spectrum and have other diagnosed conditions.

DeGenova added that she wants to see the Blue Envelope program implemented statewide.

Lynn Maro, DeGenova’s Republican challenger, said that too many cases in Mahoning County have been vacated on appeal or dismissed because rules weren’t followed, which thwarts justice.

“It’s an ongoing problem; it needs to be fixed,” Maro, who has practiced law for more than 30 years, said.

Under his leadership as county treasurer, Daniel R. Yemma said that his office has collected an increased amount of delinquent taxes and has worked with the Mahoning County Land Bank to demolish more than 2,000 abandoned, blighted and tax-delinquent structures.

Yemma’s Republican challenger, Wade Calhoun, said that state audits during the past few years revealed that the office needs to do more to operate efficiently and responsibly.

Among other things, county Recorder Noralynn Palermo said that since taking office in 2007, she has worked with the FBI to curb illegal deed transfers, and has offered free ID cards to veterans.

Her challenger, Richard Scarsella, who is the William Holmes McGuffey Historical Society’s board chairman, said he would work to increase customer satisfaction and service, in addition to ensuring taxpayers’ dollars are best used.