GIRARD Mayor warns about layoffs in city fire department

The mayor says he's looking for layoffs in the fire department.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- Mayor James J. Melfi says he may have to eliminate the city-owned ambulance service and lay off firefighters.
"This is not what we want to do," Melfi said today.
By a 4-3 vote Monday, city council declined to place a 3.9-mill safety forces issue on the November general election ballot to bail out the city's general fund.
Because of the lawmakers' decision, the city can't meet the deadline to place an issue on the ballot.
"If there is no added money to transfer to the general fund, we'll have to suspend the ambulance service," the mayor warned.
Melfi explained that he is working with city Auditor Sam Zirafi to determine if there is any money that can be transferred to the general fund.
The city has been under a state-imposed fiscal emergency since August 2001.
Layoff specifics
If there are layoffs, Melfi explained, they would only be made in the fire department that operates the ambulance. He didn't say when the layoffs would be effective.
Melfi pointed out that there are larger cities in the Mahoning Valley that don't operate their own ambulance.
He said manpower in the police department will not be touched because its ranks have been reduced by eight officers.
The fire department has four or five part-time employees that would be furloughed, along with an unspecified number of full-timers.
At the council meeting earlier this week, Councilmen Renny Palone, D-1st; Charles Doran, D-4th; Joseph Christopher, D-at-large; and Council President Louis Adovasio voted against a resolution to place the resolution on the agenda.
Adovasio cast a vote because Councilman John Moliterno, D-at-large, was absent, and he broke a tie vote.
"Not putting it on the agenda killed it," Melfi said. "There will be no levy this time."
The mayor said he believes that those who voted against it may not want a city levy to compete with a 5.9-mill levy school levy that will appear in November.
"They don't think it's needed or have other ideas," Melfi added.
Reason for decision
Christopher said the school levy played a part in his decision.
"I thought we would be jeopardizing the school levy and we would lose both of them," Christopher said today.
In addition, Christopher believed there were not the required six votes to suspend the three readings of the resolution. Also, the resolution didn't indicate that the revenue from the levy would be used solely for police and fire salaries.
Christopher said there was a lack of discussion among the administration, council and the safety forces about supporting the issue.
yovich@vindy.com