TRUMBULL COUNTY Health director fires Buccella

The ousted administrator who served in the position for 21/2 years made $41,600 a year.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The new health commissioner has fired George Buccella, the Trumbull County Health Department administrator recently banned from making field visits because of his lack of education.
"The previous health commissioner hired a person who he trusted and he thought would do a good job, and I thought we should have the same right," said Dr. James Enyeart, who was hired as health commissioner last month.
He said a certified letter informing Buccella of his termination was mailed last week. Buccella was on vacation Monday and could not be reached. The board of health was not directly involved in Buccella's termination, Dr. Enyeart said.
"I'm supporting Doc 110 percent," said Scott Thompson, a member of the board.
Changing job description
Dr. Enyeart said he hopes to reorganize the health department and rewrite the administrator's job description, with the help of the board.
"I think it would be more effective to have someone in there with the skills I want to see," Enyeart said.
"Someone who has some expertise in some aspect of public health, someone who can stand in for the health commissioner in a general sense, someone who understands the goals we would like to see done."
Buccella was hired by former health commissioner Vincent Catuogno in May 2000, at a salary of $41,600 a year. Buccella has no formal training in public health. He is a graduate of Niles McKinley High School.
Catuogno curtailed his responsibilities in April after Buccella handled some issues revolving around the discovery of arsenic in Braceville wells.
He resigned as an aide to former congressman James A. Traficant Jr. to take the health department job.
During Traficant's bribery trial, Buccella testified that he was required to work on the congressman's Greenford farm.
He is also a former Weathersfield Township trustee.