Warren budget matters

Warren budget matters
WARREN -- City council's finance committee still has not resolved how to bridge a $3.5 million gap between what the city has to spend in 2003 and requests from department heads.
Council must pass a balanced budget before the end of the year or city workers cannot be paid.
Council members are still adamant that road repairs must be included in the new budget, said Gary Fonce, a councilman at large.
At a finance committee meeting Monday, members proposed budgeting a more than $700,000 windfall from the city's sale of Anthem stock to fixing roads, Fonce said.
Another meeting will be scheduled after the administration's response to the proposal, he said.
City manager resigns
NEWTON FALLS -- Council unanimously accepted the resignation of its city manager.
At Monday's regular meeting, the resignation of Robert C. Eberhart was accepted. Last month, council gave a 30-day suspension to Eberhart, who served as city manager since August 1999, advising he either resign or be fired at the end of that time.
Eberhart has filed a lawsuit in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court against the city, alleging that he was fired after filing a suit asking to be able to keep his job. The suit stems from Eberhart's claim city officials offered him another four-year contract last summer, but then reneged on the deal.
A status conference on the lawsuit is set for Jan. 17, and a pretrial hearing is set for April 10 before Judge Andrew Logan.
Ruling on layoffs
WARREN -- An appeals court has sided with the Warren Civil Service Commission in a 3-year-old battle with the city over whether 19 workers where properly laid off.
The workers were let go at the start of 2000 with only a few days' notice, in the view of the civil service commission.
The commission set aside the layoffs in February 2000 because the city failed to give the workers a required 14-day notice.
The city lost its first appeal in Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas.
In the ruling handed down Monday, the 11th District Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court's decision.
In a related case, the civil service commission set aside the layoff of one of the 19 employees, Judith Geist, because it determined the city made a mistake in the calculations that put her name on the layoff list.
The trial court agreed and its decision was upheld by the appellate court.
Holiday Inn hosts feast
LIBERTY -- The Holiday Inn MetroPlex on Belmont Avenue will host the fifth annual Holiday Feast on Dec. 23.
This holiday dinner is a charitable project of Holiday Inn employees, helped by community volunteers.
Fund-raising projects and donations help provide a hot meal and Christmas gifts for about 500 people each year.
Doris McGeorge, project coordinator, works with local charities to compile a guest list and transportation.
Girard band to perform
GIRARD -- The Girard Community Band will present a concert in the main concourse of Eastwood Mall at 2 p.m. Sunday. The band is directed by Joseph Cammarata.
Handgun stolen
MERCER, Pa. -- Pennsylvania State Police said a handgun was among the items stolen in a burglary at a home in the 2000 block of the Mercer-Greenville Road (state Route 58).
The intruder also took two bows, police said. The burglary was discovered around 8 p.m. Monday.