GIRARD Council rejects eliminating posts

One councilwoman thinks administrative positions should remain part of the discussion about cuts.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- The jobs of the city service director, part-time engineer and parks and recreation director remain intact for now.
At a meeting Monday, council members rejected legislation to remove the engineer's post and indefinitely postponed legislation removing the other two positions. All three were created by Mayor James Melfi when he took office in January 2000.
The legislation was introduced at a council meeting earlier this month. The city is in fiscal emergency, and a state panel is overseeing city finances.
Melfi must come up with a fiscal recovery plan, and there's been speculation that plan will include the layoff of union city workers.
The voting: Reynald Paolone, D-1st, made a motion to bring the legislation to an immediate vote. That move failed on two of the posts, but passed on the engineer's post.
The vote to remove the engineer's post then failed, with council members Kathleen O'Connell Sauline, D-2nd; Thomas Grumley, D-4th; and Brian Kren, D-3rd, supporting it. Joseph Lambert, John Moliterno and Joseph Manente, all D-at large, and Paolone were opposed.
Sauline, who initiated the legislation, then requested three new measures to get rid of the three positions. Those motions also failed.
"It's legislation that I think needs to be part of the discussion," Sauline said.
She said she requested the same legislation again because she doesn't think she'll have the votes needed to bring the legislation out of indefinite postponement.
"And I'll probably continue to bring it up," Sauline said.
If there's talk about laying off union workers in the safety forces, cuts in the administration should remain part of the discussion, she said.
The officials: Jerry Lambert, a former councilman, earns $33,000 annually as service director. Mark Zuppo, another former councilman, is paid $15,000 annually as part-time parks and recreation director, and David Hall gets $12,000 annually as part-time engineer.
Zuppo and Hall do not get benefits.
At a meeting earlier this month, Manente voted to rescind legislation creating the three positions. He said he changed his mind after hearing what the mayor had to say.