YOUNGSTOWN — The owner of a Struthers company that had two contracts rejected by Mahoning County commissioners because he wouldn’t sign a labor agreement gave $20,200 to the campaign of Republican Geno DiFabio, who is challenging Democratic incumbent David Ditzler.

The money given by Jeffrey Rudzik of Struthers, owner of Rudzik Excavating, makes up 42.5% of the $47,494 raised by DiFabio in the pregeneral filing period, between April 20 and Oct. 16.

It’s also one of the largest, if not the largest, contributions to a Mahoning County executive branch candidate from an individual not related to that candidate in 16 years.

Rudzik’s company had the apparent low bids in July on a couple of county projects: $1.2 million for a Lake Milton water line replacement and $571,000 for a Poland Township sanitary sewer replacement.

But the commissioners unanimously rejected the bids because Rudzik wouldn’t agree to have a project labor agreement on the two projects, which are required for work with engineer estimates of at least $1 million. A PLA requires a collective bargaining agreement between construction unions and construction employers that outline the terms and conditions of employment for a project, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

DiFabio of Youngstown said he never heard the term PLA before meeting with union officials for endorsement interviews.

“I didn’t know what they were,” he said Friday.

DiFabio said the term wasn’t described to him with enough details when he spoke with union leaders, he learned more about them and then heard from Rudzik, who told him his company could do the job for less money without using a PLA.

DiFabio said: “I’m not running to be the commissioner of the unions or nonunion companies. I’m for the people of Mahoning County. There’s nothing in the PLA that benefits the people of Mahoning County. Why should we put another stipulation on businesses? Rudzik supported my position when I told him what I thought. He wants a fair shot on the contracts. I want a level playing field. I want the best value for the people of Mahoning County.”

Ditzler of Austintown said DiFabio still doesn’t understand the importance of a PLA.

“A PLA makes for a safer, more coordinated effort in a contract,” Ditzler said. “This is purely political. It requires skilled workers. It doesn’t mandate unions. DiFabio went to the building trades and thought it was a good idea and then changed his mind for a guy who’s funding his campaign. It’s ridiculous this has become an issue.”

J.S. Bova Excavating of Struthers, which had the next lowest bid on the Lake Milton contract by $11,000, signed a PLA and isn’t using union workers.

Also, because Rudzik wouldn’t sign the PLA, his bid bond company paid the $11,000 difference, Ditzler said.

Rudzik’s bid bond company also paid the difference of about $48,000 on the Poland contract.

Even with the $20,200 contribution from Rudzik to DiFabio, Ditzler raised almost twice as much as his opponent in the pregeneral period.

Ditzler received $90,552 between April 20 and Oct. 16 with his largest contributor being $10,000 from ACT (Affiliated Construction Trades) Ohio Foundation. ACT typically funds Republican candidates by a 3-to-1 margin over the past 12 years, according to FollowtheMoney.org, a website that tracks political contributions.

Ditzler, seeking his fourth four-year term, said he asked for a contribution from ACT and expected $100 or $500.

“When they said they were going to donate $10,000, I was blown away,” he said.

Since the start of this campaign, Ditzler has raised a total of $167,952 to $77,538 for DiFabio.

In the pregeneral period, Ditzler spent $101,323 to $63,205 for DiFabio.

Ditzler’s biggest expenses were $23,530 to WKBN-TV and $23,300 to WFMJ-TV for television ads and $18,240 to City Printing of Youngstown for signs and other printed materials.

DiFabio’s largest expense was $54,623 to RMH Creative of Youngstown for marketing, consulting and television and radio commercials.

As of Oct. 16, Ditzler had $30,259 in his account compared to $4,971 for DiFabio.

PROSECUTOR

The prosecutor’s race is, by far, the most expensive in Mahoning County for this election cycle with $479,503 raised between the two candidates. It is possibly the most expensive countywide race in Mahoning’s history.

As of Oct. 16, Republican Lynn Maro of New Springfield had raised $248,423 to $231,080 for incumbent Democrat Gina DeGenova.

In the pregeneral period, Maro raised $102,010 to $84,232 for DeGenova.

Of that amount, Maro received a $6,000 loan from her husband.

She also received $10,000 from Julie Vrable of Lisbon, $6,000 from Rick Fryda of Columbiana, and $5,000 each from Joel Sofranko of Columbiana, Lisa Robinson of Columbiana, Greg Smith of Columbiana and Cynthia Maro of Cranberry, Pa.

DeGenova received $10,000 each from Judy Powers of Canfield and Bruce Broker of Poland.

In the period between April 20 and Oct. 16, DeGenova spent $174,664 to $123,151 for Maro.

DeGenova’s biggest expenses were $72,678 to TKM Consulting of Uniontown for consulting and campaign mail, and $60,000 to D&R Consulting of North Canton for commercials, advertising and consulting.

Maro’s largest expense was $78,914 to RMH Creative for advertising, consulting, yard signs, printing and producing commercials.

As of Oct. 16, Maro had $36,890 left in her campaign fund compared to $10,233 for DeGenova.