TRUMBULL COUNTY Officials to pick punishment in supplies probe

One recommendation is that the official be fired.
& lt;a href=mailto:siff@vindy.com & gt;By STEPHEN SIFF & lt;/a & gt;
and PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Trumbull County commissioners have enough evidence to warrant disciplining maintenance supervisor Tony Delmont for taking bribes and helping companies steal from the county, the presiding officer in his predisciplinary conference has ruled.
It is up to commissioners to determine what, if any, punishment is appropriate for Delmont, who has pleaded innocent to felony charges of bribery, money laundering and theft in office.
Commissioners will talk with Prosecutor Dennis Watkins before acting, said Commissioner Joseph Angelo Jr.
"There are procedures that you have to follow to discipline somebody," Angelo said. "We want to make sure we do everything properly."
Watkins said his office will make the formal recommendation on the discipline next week. However, his office has already recommended Delmont be fired.
Written ruling sent
County sanitary engineer Thomas Holloway, who presided over the disciplinary conference Monday, sent his written ruling Wednesday to Watkins and commissioners.
"It is my finding that there is significant evidence to indicate that the counts listed in the allegations did occur," Holloway wrote.
He did not suggest what he would consider appropriate punishment.
The allegations, presented at the conference by first assistant prosecutor James Misocky, included photocopies of checks Delmont reportedly received as bribes and sworn testimony that the county worker was taken on vacation by suppliers.
Neither Delmont nor his attorneys were at Monday's conference. Last week, they said they did not plan to attend, but would contest earlier disciplinary action against Delmont with an appeal to the State Employment Relations Board.
Angelo and Commissioner James G. Tsagaris voted to put Delmont on unpaid leave several weeks ago, the same day a supplier pleaded guilty to paying Delmont tens of thousands of dollars in bribes and conspiring with Delmont to steal $180,000 from county taxpayers.
Commissioner Michael O'Brien voted against suspending Delmont, saying he would rather the maintenance chief be fired.
Delmont, a 27-year county veteran, earns $71,000 a year. He has been off work since a traffic accident in February and is collecting workers' compensation.
& lt;a href=mailto:siff@vindy.com & gt;siff@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;
& lt;a href=mailto:sinkovich@vindy.com & gt;sinkovich@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;