Name: Thomas costello
Age: 71
Desired office: Boardman Township Administrator
Occupation: Retired President / James & Sons Insurance
Education: YSU frequented

Qualifications:
My 40 years of local business experience and 18 years of service in Boardman Township have prepared me for the challenges that Boardman faces. I pride myself on my ability to work with other elected officials to build support for community improvement.

What are your priorities for your community?
My priorities for Boardman are:
1.) Continue to be financially responsible and live within our budget, while providing the best possible service.
2.) Continue to fully support our police and fire departments, keeping them adequately staffed and properly equipped.
3.) Work to improve our road infrastructure and storm sewer projects. This will require continued work to find grants available from all possible sources.
4.) Work closely with ABC Water District to fully utilize their capabilities and resources to address the storm water issues that have plagued our community for too many years.
5.) All of these priorities can only be accomplished by working as a cooperative team.

What policies, if any, will you support to promote diversity and inclusion in your community?
Since taking office, I have always strived to hire the best qualified candidate for all positions at Boardman. As a canton of the civil service, we are bound by their rules and regulations for hiring within the police and fire departments. This includes both an aptitude test and a fitness test. All applicants for these jobs are assessed on the basis of these criteria. When hiring for all positions in the township, we advertise in multiple sources to attract as diverse a population as possible.

This information was gathered by the League of Women Voters of Greater Youngstown (LWVGY). Candidates authorized its publication on the WKBN website. The questions were selected by the LWVGY and addressed to the candidates, in partnership with WKBN. Applicants were advised that their responses would be printed exactly as submitted, and this was done. Applicants are responsible for the accuracy of the information provided. By posting this material, WKBN does not endorse or reject the views of any candidate and does not and cannot take responsibility for the content of a candidate’s response or the reason for it. The material contained in this article may not be reproduced without the written consent of WKBN. LWVGY’s comprehensive voter information guide, which also includes information on local issues, will be posted on the LWVGY website and will be distributed in print throughout Mahoning County.