MCDONALD Solicitor declares fiscal-officer measure dead

A new finance clerk was appointed.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
McDONALD -- Legislation combining the village's part-time elected positions of finance clerk and treasurer into a part-time appointed position of chief fiscal officer was dead before Wednesday's meeting ever started, because council failed to address it two weeks ago.
Solicitor William M. Roux said council's rules required members to vote on the ordinance, which was tabled after two readings at the Feb. 19 meeting, by the end of the last meeting. Because no action was taken at the March 5 meeting, the ordinance died on the floor.
Roux's announcement came after council voted four times to approve the agenda, trying to keep the issue alive for discussion.
"I think it's quite evident the majority of this council would like to have a third and final vote on the matter regarding the fiscal-officer position," Councilman Joseph A. Ryan said before Roux's clarification.
Appointment
Instead, council agreed by a 5-1 vote to approve Mayor James W. Border's appointment of Rocco Tondo as the village's new finance clerk.
"We can't put it off for any longer," Border said. "I have full faith he'll do the job."
Ryan, the sole negative vote, said he was not against Tondo, but rather against the position.
Councilmen Michael J. O'Brien and Stephen Treharn expressed similar concerns but voted in favor of the appointment.
"I am against it because it's not what I am looking for," Ryan said. "It's not [Tondo], but I really, truly believe we need a chief fiscal officer, not a clerk and treasurer."
Ryan said the village has experienced several problems in recent years with the clerk's position, including a high turnover rate. Ryan, who is still serving his first term on council, said the village has had three clerks since he's been in office.
The latest clerk, Wendy Kosovec, resigned from the position in December, citing personal and political reasons.
Ryan said that with two separate offices filled by elected officials, council has no recourse to fire someone in the office if he or she is unable to do the job.
slshaulis@vindy.com