YOUNGSTOWN — Richard Scarsella of Boardman, who was elected Tuesday to serve as Mahoning County Recorder, described two things he wants to do to improve the office — carry out a performance audit through an independent auditor and carry out a technology review.

He said a technology review determines whether an organization is “up to standard” in terms of the vulnerability of its computer systems being attacked by hackers. He said the review also can evaluate the use of artificial intelligence at the recorder’s office.

Scarsella said his many positions on public bodies has prepared him to run the recorder’s office, whose main responsibilities are to maintain records of land ownership and encumbrances of land, such as deeds, mortgages and easements.

He worked for Youngstown City Schools for 31 years, retiring in August. He has two master’s degrees in education and served as job training coordinator for the school district’s Choffin Career & Technical Center. Before that, he was district special education supervisor. He held many other positions dating back to 1981.

He also served on the Mahoning County Educational Service Center governing board for 19 years, from 2005 to 2024; Mahoning County Soil and Water Conservation District board of supervisors from 2011 to 2024; and Mahoning Valley Regional Council of Governments from 2018 to 2024. Those are elected positions, he said.

He is perhaps best known as the chairman of the William Holmes McGuffey Historical Society because of his work to get a dock and pond restored at the William Holmes McGuffey Wildlife Preserve in Coitsville Township, which is under the control of the Mill Creek MetroParks.

Scarsella said he did not run for county recorder to disparage Democrat Noralynn Palermo, who has worked there 50 years, including 17 as the elected county recorder.

He ran to “bring a fresh perspective and tool kit to the department,” he said. A new person can “usually see things that people who have been there many years are overlooking,” he said. He wants to “take it to the next level.”

He said the office has a staff of five people, and he has experience in his roles with various government bodies to handle hiring and other personnel matters. On the Educational Service Center, for instance, he obtained experience in “evaluating superintendents, treasurers” and others, he said.

He has experience that will help him evaluate whether employees have the “technological background, what do they need, can we afford it, and I certainly have the skill set I can orchestrate everything that needs to be done,” he said.

He thinks his service with organizations helped him get elected. He is an independent, but he registered as a Democrat for many years “because they are the only (party) who ran candidates in the primaries, and then I would switch in the general election.”

Four years ago, he “became a Republican, but once again I was really an independent running on a party ticket.” He said it is not viable to win an election as an independent or third party candidate in the Mahoning Valley. He said recorder is one of the least political jobs in the county.

INCUMBENT

Palermo said Wednesday she is disappointed she lost, but thinks Republicans did not “take into consideration the person for the job,” and just voted for the Republican on the ballot.

“I was caught up in the red wave,” she said of a term USA Today defined Wednesday as “when Republicans sweep the elections and gain or retain control across government.”

She said, “It’s been a great 50 years” working in the recorder’s office.

CLERK OF COURTS

A third race that ended with a Democrat already in the job being defeated Tuesday was county clerk of courts. Attorney Dan Dascenzo was appointed Sept. 13, 2023, to the position to fill the remaining term of Tony Vivo, a Democrat who retired after 29 years as clerk. He was defeated in his effort to be elected to his own four-year term by attorney Michael Ciccone, a Republican.

Ciccone did not respond to a Vindicator request Wednesday to talk about things he will do to change the clerk of courts office when he takes over in January.

When Dascenzo was asked Tuesday to comment on his loss in Tuesday’s election, he said, “I’m disappointed, of course, but pleased with the work we’ve been able to get done at the clerk’s office this past year.

“I was asked to step in and steer the ship during a time of transition, and that’s what I did. Fortunately, my hard working and talented staff were there to provide support. The initiatives we took have provided a heightened level of service and accessibility to Mahoning County’s residents and businesses that had not existed in the past, and we were able to do it at no additional cost to the taxpayer.”