Commissioners plan to provide more funding for probate court

The juvenile court will still be waiting for its additional funding.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County commissioners were prepared to pay up on one court-ordered obligation today, but not on another.
Commissioners were recently ordered by the Ohio Supreme Court to provide additional funding to the juvenile and probate courts for this year. Judges Theresa Dellick of juvenile court and Timothy P. Maloney of probate court sued commissioners for the money in January after their budget requests were reduced in the budgeting process.
Additional funding
The high court said commissioners must provide the probate court with an additional $172,196 and juvenile court with an additional $2.3 million. An attorney representing the judges sent Prosecutor Paul Gains a letter last week demanding that the money be paid by today.
The agenda for today's commissioner meeting includes an addition of the full amount for the probate court, but nothing for juvenile court.
"We're still working on that one," said county Administrator Gary Kubic. He pointed out that the deadline was not imposed by the high court, but by the judges' lawyer.
Commissioner Ed Reese said the panel is confused because Judge Dellick demanded the $2.3 million in her lawsuit and in the deadline letter from her lawyer, but told The Vindicator this week that she is willing to settle for less.
The judge said she wants to meet with commissioners and work out a compromise, but Reese and Commissioner Vicki Allen Sherlock said they are not interested in such a meeting. Commissioner David Ludt said he will meet with her.
The Democrats of the 17th and 6th Districts, a local political organization, is holding a public forum on the Mahoning County court funding issue and the county's budgetary problems at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Poland Community Baseball Association hall on Sheridan Road in Poland.
Judges Maloney and Dellick along with Ludt and Auditor George Tablack plan to attend the meeting to discuss the issue.