DEAR EDITOR:

As concerned constituents of Ohio’s 6th Congressional District, we visited U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli’s Canfield office on Feb. 21 to voice our concerns and seek answers from our elected representative or his staff. For weeks, many of us have attempted to reach his office by phone, only to be met with unreturned calls and no clear way to engage with our congressman. Hoping for better luck in person, we arrived at his Canfield office — only to be met at the door by a staffer who informed us that the office does not handle legislative matters and has no congressional staffers available to discuss policy issues. We were not allowed entry and were instead directed to the DC or Marietta office as points of contact for legislative concerns.

This lack of access is unacceptable. Mahoning County is one of the most densely populated areas in the district, yet U.S. Rep. Rulli has no congressional staff in his local office to engage with constituents on policy issues.

Rulli was born and raised in Mahoning County and continues to run his family’s business, Rulli Bros. Markets in the area. If anyone should understand the importance of maintaining a strong presence and open communication with Mahoning County residents, it should be Rep. Rulli.

We are calling on Rep. Rulli to establish a proper legislative presence in Mahoning County by staffing the Canfield office with personnel who can facilitate meetings, address legislative concerns, and improve districtwide communication.

We also urge him to hold public events or town halls where he can hear directly from the people he represents. Constituents should not have to chase their congressman across the district just to be heard.

We will continue to push for accountability and transparency, and we encourage our fellow residents to call Rulli’s offices and demand better representation.

JANET COBB

Salem

DIANA PALARDY

Poland

GERRY SLIPSKI

Canfield

TIFFANY STONE WOLBRECHT

Canfield

SUZANNE WINICK

Salem