MAHONING COUNTY Officials to vote on pay for clerk

Commissioners Ed Reese and David Ludt said they'll vote against the raise.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County commissioners were to vote today on whether to raise Clerk Thomas Smith's salary, even though he's leaving in a week.
Two of the three commissioners have said they'll vote against it.
Commissioners were scheduled to vote on a raise for Smith last week, but the measure was tabled because Commissioner David Ludt was unable to attend the meeting.
According to J. Kevin Sellards, human resources director, Smith's salary was to be increased from $38,934 to $39,800.
Since then, Smith, 31, has resigned to take a job as borough manager of Seven Fields, Pa., near Cranberry Township. He has been the commissioners' clerk since August 1998.
Adjustment: The agenda for today's meeting includes a recommendation to approve the salary adjustment.
Commissioner Vicki Allen Sherlock said the idea is to grant the raise, retroactive to June, when other employees were granted a raise. He would be paid the difference in a lump sum, she said.
The check would be pro-rated according to how much his salary would have increased between June and now, she said.
"I think that's fair, and the increase was recommended by the human resources department," she said.
But Ludt and Commissioner Ed Reese said they're not going along with it.
Not fair: "I don't mind being fair, but that's not fair," Ludt said. "The fact is that the man is leaving. Why should we hand him money?"
Reese said he was opposed to the raise last week, before commissioners learned Smith had taken another job, and has not changed his mind.
He's upset that Smith has not served a five-day suspension that was handed to him in June for insubordination.
"I just don't think it's good business to give someone a raise when they haven't served their disciplinary action," he said.
Ludt said commissioners recently paid $5,307 toward Smith's college tuition, which is allowed under a reimbursement for county employees. He will not approve a pay raise on top of that.
bjackson@vindy.com