Canfield Township has long prided itself on its high quality of life, its aesthetic allure and its ongoing residential and commercial growth, among amenities of the community of 17,000 people.

Skillful, businesslike, enterprising and forward-thinking leadership in township government no doubt has played a critical role in establishing and maintaining that stellar reputation throughout the Mahoning Valley and beyond.

That’s why this fall’s election for township trustee carries so much weight for ensuring the community stays firmly on track to preserve its cherished assets while keeping its controlled growth humming along over the next four years.

Fortunately for township voters, two strong, experienced and civic-minded candidates — eight-year incumbent Joe Paloski and former Trustee Anthony J. Bettile — are vying for the leadership post. Undeniably, either would serve the township, its needs and its residents competently. They also share many similar views.

Both Paloski and Bettile say they would resist any efforts to annex portions of the township into the city, but both vow to work cooperatively with city leaders on projects that stand to cut costs and improve efficiencies in both communities.

Both Paloski and Bettile say they initially view favorably the proposed merger of the fire departments serving Canfield Township, Canfield city and Boardman. While both men want to wait until a study is completed on the idea before rendering a final judgment, both point to decreased departmental operational costs and improved emergency-response times to residents as potential pluses behind the plan.

Also, both Paloski and Bettile place strong priorities on maintaining and improving township infrastructure, specifically its roads and water systems. Paloski points to paving programs in many of the township’s upscale housing communities in recent years. Bettile points to a possible need for a second water tower to meet growing needs in the not-too-distant future.

And both Paloski and Bettile have admirable records of community service outside of township government. Bettile has been a longtime member of Canfield Rotary, American Heart Association, Better Business Bureau and a sponsor for the Walnut Grove Field of Opportunity. Paloski has been singled out as a 25 Under 35 honoree, has volunteered as a grant writer for ACTION, the War Vet Museum and has been involved with the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp., Taft Promise Neighborhood and Walnut Grove playground as a builder and donor.

Clearly, Canfield Township voters face a daunting decision in this race. But a decision must be made, and we recommend Bettile for the position. We give the former trustee the slight edge in this race partly because he will have more time to devote to the position given he retired this year from Buckeye Lawn Service, which he owned and operated for 32 years.

Paloski meanwhile works as vice president of mission services for Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries.

We also are a bit troubled by what we view as somewhat overstated campaign claims made by Paloski.

For example, on an advertisement in a listing titled “Accomplishments,” Paloski ranks increasing home values 30% as the top achievement. Surely, the incumbent trustee does not believe he takes sole credit for that surge. Additionally, the listing includes other projects that were the teamwork of the full board and of previous boards such as construction of the water tower on U.S. Route 224 and Raccoon Road.

Given that Bettile says he already has strong working relationships with Trustees Brian Governor and Marie Cartwright, we believe he’ll need little on-the-job training time to transform his goals into actions for the greater good of Canfield Township.