TRUMBULL COUNTY Missing money is probe focus

One commissioner wonders what the maintenance department head has to do with the purchasing scandal.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
and STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Trumbull County commissioners have decided to remove dispensers of feminine hygiene products from restrooms in all county buildings after an internal investigation could not uncover where money dropped into the machines wound up.
An inventory of county maintenance department storerooms conducted by employees borrowed from other county departments concluded that more than $100 is missing from dispensers in the Stone Building.
That figure was based on the amount of products purchased earlier this year to stock three machines there.
So far this year, only $32 has been turned over to the county auditor's department from all machines in county buildings, records show.
Last year, the county bought $4,831 worth of feminine hygiene products from one company to help stock 14 coin-operated dispensers in county buildings and for jail inmates. Records show $15 was turned in.
Investigating
"We are investigating this to determine what happened with the money," said Commissioner Michael J. O'Brien.
"We also felt it's better to get rid of the machines because of the problem with the deposits and the fact we were informed that there is hardly a need for them."
Tony Delmont, head of the building maintenance department, did not return phone calls. He was in charge of buying for the department but was stripped of that responsibility last month after a series of Vindicator articles detailing excessive purchasing and lax bookkeeping in the department.
Employees who conducted the inventory, which was suggested by Prosecutor Dennis Watkins, were unable to determine who even held keys to the coin-operated dispensers, they say in a report issued earlier this week.
Even if the county did get its money, product prices were too low to cover the county's purchase cost.
At 20 cents a pull -- the price on most machines -- the county would recover $50 on each case of 250 sanitary napkins, for which the county paid $71.
Paid more than cost
On each case, the county paid between $5 and $8 more than the price the vendor -- Envirochemical of Cleveland -- advertises in its catalogs.
County records show that sanitary napkins also were bought from Central Service and Supply of Brookfield. The Vindicator could not determine an amount on that Tuesday.
Watkins sent a letter to commissioners Monday saying there are "serious personnel and administrative issues" that can be addressed only by commissioners since the employees are under their direction. The letter did not name the employees.
Delmont has handled ordering for the maintenance department since January 1994. He earns $71,082 a year.
Commissioners have declined to take any administrative action against Delmont.
"What has Tony Delmont got to do with it?" asked Commissioner James Tsagaris.
"I really don't know what to say because I haven't read the report. Haven't got to it yet."
O'Brien and Commissioner Joseph Angelo declined to say Tuesday if they are considering any action.
O'Brien noted that the state Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation is probing the matter.
"I really hope there is no criminal wrongdoing here," Angelo said.
sinkovich@vindy.comsiff@vindy.com