TRUMBULL COUNTY Officials anxious for report

The maintenance department is also being investigated by state and federal law enforcement agencies.
By STEPHEN SIFFand PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Tony Delmont, director of Trumbull County's maintenance department, has worked 28 years for the county commissioners and has never been subject to a formal job performance evaluation.
He still hasn't had one even after an internal investigation by other commissioners' employees uncovered excessive and irresponsible purchasing in the department he controls and evidence of missing funds.
"How can you discipline someone when you have not been told what he has done?" said Commissioner James Tsagaris.
He said commissioners were waiting for results from a criminal investigation by county prosecutor Dennis Watkins.
"Hurry up. We don't have time," Tsagaris said, referring to the county probe. "People have to know what is going on in our county."
Commissioners' employees who conducted the internal investigation concluded "it is obvious that there are excessive products being utilized within the county maintenance department."
"There doesn't appear to be any checks or balances as to who actually requested a certain product, if the ordered product and the amount was justified, the amount and type actually received, and whether or not the intended department or individual actually received such product," their report says.
The maintenance department also is being investigated by the FBI, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, and the Ohio Auditor's Office.
What was done
Commissioners did take buying privileges away from Delmont several months ago at Watkins' request. Those responsibilities most recently have been assigned to Tony Carson, the commissioners' purchasing director, but Delmont continues to draw his salary of $71,082 a year for supervising the cleaning staff for county buildings.
He also is serving on a blue-ribbon panel assembled by commissioners to suggest purchasing improvements.
"Right now I'm being told that it wasn't just Tony Delmont doing the ordering but that four or five other people were also ordering," Commissioner Joseph J. Angelo Jr. said.
Purchase orders generated by Delmont's office were nearly always signed by Patty Patros, his assistant.
Angelo also noted that he was told that jail custodians were ordering supplies.
Custodians and the sheriff said they did not order supplies, however. Sheriff Thomas Altiere said custodians would tell Delmont what they needed and Delmont would make the order.
Even if criminal charges result from the investigation of Delmont and his department, that does not necessarily mean he would lose his job or even get a verbal or written reprimand.
1998 arrest
Commissioners didn't reprimand Delmont in 1998 when police pulled him over and arrested him on a charge of driving under the influence while in a county truck.
A test found his blood-alcohol level in excess of legal limits.
A judge eventually found Delmont guilty of reckless operation and suspended his license for one month but allowed him to continue to drive in the scope of his employment.
Commissioners ordered Delmont to seek counseling.
Routine job-performance reviews are something county officials have talked about but never acted on, said James Keating, the county personnel director.
Angelo said no disciplinary action would be taken against Delmont or any other employee until results from investigations are completed.
Commissioner Michael J. O'Brien said he would like commissioners to begin evaluating department heads.
siff@vindy.comsinkovich@vindy.com