Mayor: Fiscal woes won't stop progress

By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
WELLSVILLE -- The village's fiscal emergency financial status is a temporary setback that won't deter business from locating here, Mayor Joe LaScola said.
Ohio State Auditor Jim Petro placed the village on fiscal emergency status last week with a $17,928 deficit.
LaScola must now recommend five residents to Gov. Bob Taft. Taft will then select three to serve on a financial planning and supervision commission to oversee village finances.
He said he has been making calls and reviewing resumes, and plans to finalize the list by Thursday.
"This is a black eye on the village, but we'll get to the bottom of it," LaScola said. "We'll be OK. There are exciting things happening here."
Industrial park: LaScola pointed to the Columbiana County Port Authority development of an intermodal industrial park here as an example.
He said Tracy Drake, port authority executive director, "has been working real hard on that, and it's moving along. We want people coming here to know that Wellsville is where they want to be."
Petro said the financial planning and supervision commission will help bring stability to village finances and, through an upcoming performance audit, auditors would identify more efficient ways for the village to operate.
Panel: He said the commission, as required by law, will consist of a representative of the state treasurer's office, a representative of the state office of budget and management, the mayor or a representative of the mayor's office, the council president or other council representative, and three residents.
The Wellsville residents must each have at least five years of private-sector business or financial experience, he said.