TRUMBULL COUNTY Trim the tree -- of costs?

The Christmas tree in the lobby of the Mahoning County Courthouse was donated years ago, and employees provide the decorations.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
and STEPHEN SIFF AND
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- 'Tis the season for Trumbull County commissioners to deck their halls with rental holly.
Commissioners own the fake Christmas trees that grace lobbies in the county courthouse, but they pay a Niles company $1,800 a year to store, assemble and decorate them with rented baubles.
For the money, commissioners also get 15 rented wreaths and two swags from Reese Floral Art.
The company generally hangs the wreaths and decorates three county-owned trees in the courthouse the first week in December, then takes them away after New Year's.
The company also rents to the county a fourth tree, along with decorations, for the administration building lobby.
"They are very beautiful," said Roselyn Ferris, the county clerk-administrator. "Everyone seems to enjoy them."
Is it too much?
The county's not paying too much to have Reese decorate and store its Christmas trees, said Joseph J. Angelo, a county commissioner.
"No," he said. "That's a ridiculous question."
A quick look at Christmas advertisements suggests Trumbull County could buy ornaments and decorating supplies for much less than it pays each year to rent them and have someone else put them up.
Careful shoppers can buy wreaths for less than $20 and a strand of lights for as little as $3, according to Internet sites for local retailers.
A box of six plastic ornaments can be found for $2.77. Local stores sell basic, 6-foot artificial Christmas trees for less than $100, with pre-lighted models going for $100 more.
Decorations in most county offices are paid for and installed by the employees.
"Of course, there are different ways we could do it," said Commissioner Michael O'Brien. "We could ask people to buy them, we could buy them ourselves, we could ask for volunteers to put them up. This is something we did three years ago, and we renewed it every year."
More decorations
The county paid less for the service in 1999 and 2000, about $1,000 each year, but subsequently decided to get more decorations, Ferris said.
Commissioners have not discussed how they will handle it this year, O'Brien said.
Before county commissioners hired Reese to begin decorating the trees, they approached other florists for estimates, Ferris said. They said they didn't do that kind of work.
Six ornamental silk trees that grace administration building lobbies were bought by commissioners from Reese three years ago, for $3,435. They stay up all year.
Elsewhere
The Christmas tree in the lobby of the Mahoning County Courthouse was donated years ago, and employees decorate it with ornaments they provide, county officials there say.
Dave Griffing , Warren city auditor, said city officials bought decorations several years ago.
"We spent less than $1,000 on the decorations, and we use them every year," Griffing said.
Mayor Melissa Long, of Cortland, said she would not spend $1,800 a year for Christmas decorations.
"Absolutely not. There is no reason for it. We bought a tree a few years ago, and each year we bring in more bulbs. A local company donates some pine roping, and that's all we have," Long said.
sinkovich@vindy.comsiff@vindy.com