Historically, the city of Youngstown has changed mayors the way some folks change socks.

Some of that was by design. For decades, Youngstown mayors were limited to two full four-year terms and could only return for a third term after an intervening term.

That changed during the tenure of Patrick Ungaro (1984-97), who became Youngstown’s longest-serving mayor — a title he still owns 28 years after he last served and six years since his death in 2019.

Current Mayor Jamael Tito Brown is attempting to become just the second three-term mayor of Youngstown in the Nov. 4 general election. His challenger is political newcomer Derrick McDowell, whose platform consists of promising to end what he calls dysfunction at city hall, poor decisions and a lack of accountability.

Frank Bellamy and Cecil Monroe are running as write-in candidates.

McDowell might not have the sort of government experience Brown had when he ran against then-incumbent John McNally IV in the 2017 Democratic primary, but if this year’s primary is any indication, Brown might not be a shoo-in for a third term.

The incumbent Democrat was challenged in May by 3rd Ward Councilwoman Samantha Turner and barely survived. Brown won by 64 votes — 2,010 to 1,946 for Turner. The percentages of votes were 50.81% for Brown and 49.19% for Turner.

That doesn’t guarantee that McDowell, running as an independent, will give Brown that sort of run this Tuesday, but it shows that Youngstown’s current mayor is vulnerable.

Brown touts the city’s declining homicide rate as perhaps the biggest and most important achievement of his two terms. He said his goal was to see Youngstown’s murder rate cut by 50% and said in his nearly eight years in office, that figure has declined by 56%.

“Over the last eight years, we’ve demonstrated our leadership and our ability to move Youngstown forward,” Brown said. “Our city is safer, our neighborhoods are healthier and look at our investments.”

The issue of safety in Youngstown is paramount to the quality of life for those who call the city home. It is also a crucial element in selling the city to potential new residents and companies that might consider doing business here. We commend Brown’s efforts in reducing crime and consider cutting in the city’s murder rate — long considered an unfortunate Youngstown calling card — by more than half reason enough to reward the mayor with a third term.

McDowell — more than most — understands what violence has done to Youngstown over the years. He lost a brother to gun violence, but despite that, he says he loves the city and cares deeply about its future.

We believe McDowell. As a city native and owner of the Youngstown Flea, he is invested in Youngstown both personally and professionally. His arguments that there is dysfunction in city government and a lack of accountability were not created from whole cloth.

Brown and McDowell disagree, for example, about whether 20 Federal Place — the site of the former Strouss Department Store location — is currently a success story after redevelopment deal with Bluelofts fell through in August. That deal was the second for 20 Federal Place that failed and forced the city to return $24 million in unused state and federal historic tax credits for the building.

McDowell also places some of the blame for the May 28, 2024, Realty Building explosion on city officials. Akil Drake, 27, an employee of J.P. Morgan Chase Bank on the first floor of the Realty Building, was killed in the explosion. Brown said the owners of the building were responsible for the tragedy that killed Drake and displaced residents who lived on the building’s upper floors.

McDowell also cited a survey of Youngstown Police Department officers that revealed low morale, salary concerns and a lack of support from city council and the administration.

All those factors, as well as a lengthy downtown streets project that resulted in parking and traffic issues, probably contributed to Brown’s slim primary victory over Turner and provided a boost to McDowell’s grassroots campaign.

“There is dysfunction in city hall,” McDowell said. “Accountability in city hall is a big problem. I see a problem and I want to fix it.”

McDowell is a bright young man and is passionate about Youngstown. But we’d like to see him first bring his ideas into the spotlight via a city council run. There, he will be able to have a seat at the table and gain the kind of inside knowledge of city government that may one day allow him to move Youngstown forward as its mayor.

For now, however, Brown should remain in that role.