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One way or another, change is coming to the Mahoning County Board of Commissioners. The only question is the variety of that change.
Outgoing Commissioner Carol Rimedio-Righetti wants her replacement to be fellow Democrat and two-term District 58 state Rep. Lauren McNally. She is battling Republican business owner and former Canfield City Council President Christine Oliver in what is expected to be a close race.
If money talks, McNally should win. The former Youngstown City Council member spent almost four times what Oliver spent during the pregeneral election period. McNally didn't have to spend a dime on a primary race because she ran unopposed. Oliver spent most of her campaign funds in a three-way primary. Endorsed by The Vindicator editorial board, Oliver outlasted fellow Republicans Bruce Shepas and Don Dragish by collecting 45% of the vote.
We're again endorsing Oliver, this time in the general election. In our April 24 endorsement, we focused largely on Oliver's commitment to securing property-tax relief for county homeowners, particularly those who long ago paid off their homes but now live on fixed incomes.
It's still a concern several months later, even after commissioners voted to double the state's owner-occupancy tax credit.
“Now our seniors are actually moving out of their homes into apartments or with other family members because they simply can’t afford to stay in their home. And I think that’s a travesty,” said Oliver, who also favors doubling the state's homestead exemption in Mahoning County.
Ohio counties already receive reimbursement from Columbus for the standard homestead and owner-occupancy exemptions. But when the Ohio Legislature approved a measure to let counties double that exemption, it didn't come with supporting state money.
Mahoning County Auditor Ralph Meacham said that to double both exemptions would cost Mahoning County about $12 million per year, mostly on the backs of school districts and local governments.
Asked how the county could offset those losses, Oliver said the state should return money recovered through investigations of fraud and waste. She also called for closer scrutiny of government spending, including reserves held by publicly funded organizations seeking additional tax revenue.
“But I also believe you should use the money you have before you ask me for more,” Oliver said.
We agree.
Completely eliminating property taxes ---- the primary source of revenue for school districts and public-safety entities ---- should be a nonstarter. But school districts, cities, villages and townships that receive taxpayer funds cannot pretend that unlimited dollars flow from those taps.
When families are struggling and have to make difficult decisions, they're expected to tighten their belts. Those to whom we send tax dollars ought to do the same. It's a mantra we've preached repeatedly over the years.
Oliver and McNally aren't far apart on economic development in Mahoning County. Both recognize its importance to the county and the region.
McNally said Mahoning County needs a long-term plan to attract investment and prepare for growth.
“We need to have our own seat at those tables, and we need to be planning. We need to be the centralized organizer of that stuff,” she said.
Oliver cited a need for greater financial accountability and a stronger commitment to protecting taxpayers.
“You have to be transparent with what you’re doing with the money and more accountable for what you’re doing with the money,” she said.
McNally said her experience in state and municipal government would help the county obtain funding and coordinate development. She said more than $200 million in state aid has been secured for projects in the districts she has represented, crediting cooperation among local officials, community leaders and lawmakers.
Perhaps, but we're not sure a career politician is the right fit for a commissioner’s seat.
We're also concerned about two unsolicited text messages, both critical of Oliver, that were sent to Mahoning County residents in recent weeks. One compared Youngstown Community Planning and Economic Development Director DeMaine Kitchen to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after Kitchen endorsed Oliver. The other directly referenced Oliver, accusing her of abandoning her mother in a nursing home, where she died.
Judy Marsh, Oliver's mother, died of sepsis after what the candidate said was supposed to be two weeks of rehabilitation at Windsor House. Oliver filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the facility in 2025.
Both texts crossed the line. McNally has said she did not authorize the texts and reported them to election authorities. Oliver questioned the timing of the texts and said she doesn't believe McNally had nothing to do with them.
Oliver is a U.S. Navy veteran with nearly 30 years of experience in insurance and financial services. She works in management for MassMutual and operates two Boardman businesses with her husband. She also co-founded Back the Blue Ohio, a nonprofit that raises money for children of fallen law enforcement officers.
We endorse her candidacy in next week's election.
SCRIPTURE
I want to know Christ ---- yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.
Philippians 3:10 NIV