WARREN — A Hubbard Township trustee is attempting to stop the comeback of a man who spent much of his adult life in Trumbull County politics.

Republican candidate Rick Hernandez, 63, a township trustee since 2017, if successful, will block Democratic candidate Dan Polivka, 61, who last served as a county commissioner in 2020 when he was defeated by outgoing Republican Commissioner Niki Frenchko, from returning to the commissioners office.

Hernandez defeated Frenchko during this year’s Republican primary.

This is the second time that Hernandez is seeking to become a commissioner. He was defeated in the 2022 Republican primary by current Commission President Denny Malloy.

Polivka served as a member of Warren City Council from 1983 to 2003 as both a ward councilman and a Councilman at-Large, and as a county commissioner from 2004 to 2020.

He lost a primary campaign against Dan Sferra for the Democratic nomination for the mayor of Warren in 1989. He lost races for county commissioner in 1999 and in 2020.

HERNANDEZ

“I’m looking at this election as old school politics versus new school governance,” Hernandez said. “I bring a whole new vision and a whole new look to Trumbull County.”

A co-owner of Hern Motors since 1986 and a partner of The Hern Brothers Band, Hernandez believes his ability to negotiate contracts will be beneficial to the county. Hernandez said his negotiation skills were highlighted when Hubbard trustees over a six-year period took on a police department that was broke and now has a $2 million carryover.

“I have 45 years of promotional skills acquired by running a band with my brother,” he said. “In entertainment, you have to promote yourself. I look to use those skills to work with the commissioners to make Trumbull County a wonderful place to raise a family, operate a business and a (tourist) destination.”

He believes the county needs to look at infrastructure and essential services.

As a commissioner, Hernandez believes it will be his responsibility to go to the Ohio statehouse to lobby area senators, state representatives and the governor’s office against property tax increases that are hurting families from staying in their homes and are hurting small and medium-size businesses.

Hernandez is against providing abatements. He recognizes that schools, under the current state system, depend on property taxes to operate. However, he added, there is a need for some forms of property tax relief for new and expanding businesses that provide hundreds of jobs to the area.

“We need to stimulate business,” Hernandez said. “We don’t have to give a 100% abatement. For the most part, we need to be able to offer an abatement, but not give them the whole rope.”

With companies such as Kimberly Clark, Amazon and others expanding in the region, Hernandez said there will be a need for more workers, which will increase the need for housing in the county.”

He also wants to improve infrastructure and increase central services.

Hernandez is critical of public transportation services being provided in the county, noting the services are primarily provided to residents living in and around Niles and Warren.

“We can’t even utilize these services in Mecca, in Hartford, in Brookfield and in Kinsman,” he said. “Yes, we need public transportation in our major metro areas. What we can do is offer Uber-type transportation. It is happening in other communities.”

Hernandez wants to explore the possibility of a county sponsored Uber / Lyft- type service where residents can make a phone call for a $2 ride. He cited a program in Delaware County, as an example of this type of service.

He does not feel the county needs to maintain the transit administrator position.

“To have somebody that we’re paying approximately $120,000 a year for working two days a week is ludicrous. We can have limo drivers that would be cheaper,” he said.

He believes the county needs to better utilize transportation services already available.

“My interest would be utilizing our area’s local services and bringing in qualified individuals that can take the county in the right direction at the most reasonable cost for both the county and the end users,” he said. “We have to retool the whole service. There is state money and grants available.”

Hernandez is chairman of Hubbard’s Eagle Joint Fire District, which recently went from an all volunteer service to a full-time paid fire and ambulance service.

“We have communities right now, like Hartford, Bloomfield and Orangeville, where the commissioners can work to offer a service or to pool money together between those communities to offer those types of services,” he said.

He said he also would like to see more collaboration with Mahoning County commissioners on job creation and economic development.

POLIVKA

Polivka described himself as never stopping providing help to residents as a commissioner.

“I only lost the title,” he said. “My experience and the relationships I’ve built through the years — whether it be in the governor’s office, the state’s County Commissioners Association and around Trumbull County — will enable me to turn the office around and restore respect to it.”

In spite of his defeat by Frenchko, Polivka felt the county and the commissioner’s office were operating well when he left.

We had a lot of success. With tax abatements encouraging LG Chemical Battery Plant to come and I helped to get TJ Maxx HomeGoods and the two energy plants coming in. That was the last two years of my tenure,” he sad. “If we can be that productive, it’ll be pretty good for the county. We have to continue to develop.”

Polivka said getting another airline at the local airport would be good for the county, as would expanding broadband.

The former commissioner said he did not have any lawsuits filed against him.

He expressed pride in opposing an increase in the county’s sales tax while he served.

“They said we could not continue to operate, if we did not impose a tax,” he said. “It is eight years later and we’re still at the same sales tax rate and operating well.”

If reelected, Polivka would like to learn why it is so difficult to attract people to 911 dispatcher jobs.

“When I was there, it was operating well,” Polivka said. “We will have to restructure that. I’ve spoken to people who said they are burnt out working so many hours. We can get that back on track by possibly establishing staggered shifts. We have people working 63 to 65 hours a week.”

He noted he would look at the pay structure in 911 to see how it compares to what other counties are paying.

Polivka said he was always a strong supporter of the sheriff’s department in providing vehicles and other equipment.

Maintaining a business friendly environment by keeping taxes lower and not imposing unnecessary regulations is important to him.

Knowing that the more than $28 million in American Rescue Plan funds will no longer be available by the time the next commissioner takes office, Polivka emphasized it will be more important than ever for county leaders to search out and obtain federal and state grants and loans to subsidize future projects.

“We will need to be more conservative,” he said. “I think my being tight fisted and negotiating spending in the county will be an asset to the county. I always spent money conservatively,” he said.

Polivka noted he met with Western Reserve Transit Authority’s Dean Harris a number of times over the years before he left office.

“I would be open to looking at different forms of transportation,” he said. “I think there is more of a need. I would propose smaller buses. I hate seeing buses with only two to three people on them.”

Polivka is against increasing the sales tax to provide funding to WRTA to provide busing in Trumbull County. He noted it was that issue that caused Frenchko to run against him for commissioner nearly four years ago, and he is pleased that Warren is working with the county in providing some funds for public transportation.

“At one time there was good cooperation that allowed busing in Girard and different communities, but they did not stay on it long enough,” he said. “Maybe that could be looked at again.”

Polivka also said he does not see the value of the transit administrator’s position.

“I thought we were paying him way too much money, after I began seeing the results,” he noted. “I would think he needs to be way more aggressive than he has been.”

Polivka said he is open to the idea of an administrator’s position in the commissioners office, noting there was one when he was first elected commissioner. He admits the office worked well during that time.

The former commissioner believes he can work across the aisle in working with people in both political parties. Although he is the former head of the Trumbull County Democratic Party, Polivka described working with Republicans in the past and is expecting to continue working with them.

“Once you become a commissioner it is just a matter of doing your job,” Polivka said. “I’ve worked with (Commission President) Denny Malloy before and should be able to work with him now.”