The committee met Wednesday at city hall with seven of the eight members in attendance to fill the vacant city council president and council at-large seats in accordance with Ohio Revised Code. The council president position has officially been vacant since the resignation of former council president Sara Baronzzi took effect on July 31; however, Baronzzi submitted her resignation on July 14 citing her family’s upcoming relocation out of the city, and the upcoming birth of her new child as the reason for her resignation. That seat was filled with the appointment of Evan Newman who has served on council since being appointed to the seat vacated when Baronzzi was appointed council president in Sept. 2022 and resigned his at-large seat on Aug. 6 to seek appointment to that seat ahead of the election so that the city “can have a full council through the reminder of the 2025 year.”

Newman earned his bachelor’s degree from West Liberty University and his master’s degree in business administration with a major in communications and marketing from Louisiana State University. Newman serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Ohio Society of Association Professionals and is a freelance social media consultant and lives in one of Salem’s historic homes with his wife and their two young children.

The at-large seat which Newman resigned will be filled by Jim Harrington, one of four candidates running for three at-large council seats in November. Harrington is a Salem native and 1982 Salem High School alum, earning his bachelor’s degree in marketing from The Ohio State University and his MBA in finance and economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago prior to moving back to Salem in January of 2021. Harrington has written and co-written multiple books on corporate finance and “is employed by a leading international financial management firm based in Chicago, Illinois” and lives with his father and dog in a historic home on South Lincoln which he restored.

“He’s probably one of the most outstanding candidates I’ve seen in a long time, he’s an author and lectures all over the world about corporate finance. I feel very fortunate to have him in this position,” said Columbiana County Republican Party Chairman and Salem City Republican Central Committee Member David Johnson

Jim Harrington, left, was appointed to the at-large council seat vacated when Newman resigned his position to seek appointment as city council president. Harrington received the most votes of the three Republican candidates seeking election as councilman at-large in the upcoming November election during the Republican primary in May. Harrington’s father Paul, center, held the bible as he was sworn in by Mayor Cyndi Baronzzi Dickey, right. Harrington was also joined by his brother and niece. (Photo courtesy of the Columbiana County Republican Party Facebook page)

Both appointments were made by unanimous vote and Johnson said that both Newman and Harrington were considered “the natural choice” for their appointed position as Newman was already running for the position unopposed and has served on council for the last three years, and Harrington was “the top vote-getter in the Republican primary” in May.

“They’re two outstanding candidates that I think will be great in their positions,” said Johnson.

Both Newman and Harrington will still be on the ballot in November and while Newman is unopposed, Harrington will be challenged by Democrat George Begalla and fellow Republicans Trent Tice and Mike Weir vying for the three available at-large council seats.