Recent hiring in Trumbull makes case for screening

Although nearly a month has passed since the Trumbull County commissioners appointed Gary Newbrough to the $70,106-a-year job as county sanitary engineer, we would be remiss if we did not again question the way this public body filled such an important position. There was no formal search, which means the taxpayers of the county don't know whether the most qualified person got the job. Newbrough had served as director of the county planning commission since 1999.
Our criticism of the county commissioners' hiring practices is not new. In January, we lambasted Commissioners Joseph Angelo and James Tsagaris for the way in which they appointed Anthony Carson county administrator. The third commissioner at the time, Michael O'Brien, said he had "absolutely no idea" that personnel changes were being made in the office. O'Brien was serving out his final days and is now mayor of Warren.
Given the controversy surrounding Carson's hiring, we urged Angelo and Tsagaris to revisit the hiring process and "as a starting point publicly advertise the job." And we posed this question: "Who is to say that Carson is the most qualified or the most appropriate individual to hold such an important position?"
Yet, early this month, the commissioners named Newbrough sanitary engineer. He replaces Tom Holloway, who resigned to become chief engineer of the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District.
Justification
Here's how Tsagaris justified the action: "Not only are we saving money, we think he can do the job." The commissioner contended that hiring a professional engineer from outside the county would have cost the treasury at least $10,000 more than Newbrough will be paid.
How does Tsagaris know that? Was a study conducted comparing the salary in Trumbull County to similar counties around the state and nation? How do the commissioners know that a nationwide search would not only have attracted a highly qualified individual, but one willing to work for the $70,106 a year? It is important to remember that public employees receive a benefit package worth at least 40 percent of their salaries.
As for Tsagaris' contention that Newbrough, who is a professional engineer, can do the job, we wonder if the commissioners in reviewing his personnel file came across a memorandum dated March 1, 2001, in which the chairman of the personnel committee of the Trumbull County Planning Commission notified him that he was being suspended for two weeks because he had not been showing up for work.
Incidentally, the author of the memorandum was none other than Tsagaris, who contended at the time that the suspension was prompted by Newbrough's incessant absenteeism constituting neglect of duty and insubordination.
Newbrough explained that a conflict between his work and his personal life resulted in his not being on the job.
No one is suggesting that the county sanitary engineer has not turned over a new leaf, but given his past work record, taxpayers are left to wonder why the commissioners felt compelled to hire him without conducting a formal search.