TRUMBULL COUNTY Administrator sells jail program, will sell building


By John Goodall | February 7, 2004 at 12:00a.m.


Tony Carson's case has been referred to the Ohio Ethics Commission.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Trumbull County Administrator Tony Carson has sold his private jail program and put the court building he rents to the county up for sale, officials say.
Carson made these decisions after questions were raised about possible conflicts of interest between Carson's business interests and his job responsibilities, which include work on the budgets for county and municipal courts. Carson was promoted from purchasing director to county administrator last month.
Last week, Carson sold his shares in the Warren Alternative Sentencing Program, a private jail he operates in the basement of the Warren Police Station, to Robert Griffiths, a program employee.
Carson also has put his Central District Court building in Cortland up for sale, county Commissioner Dan Polivka said Tuesday.
Carson could not be reached to comment.
Question raised
On Monday, Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins asked the Ohio Ethics Commission to determine if Carson's ownership of the Central County Court building or the Warren Alternative Sentencing Program presents any conflicts of interest or ethical violations.
Watkins also asked the ethics commission to rule if Carson's sale of the jail program makes any ethical questions irrelevant.
In a letter to Watkins, Commissioners Joseph J. Angelo Jr. and James Tsagaris said that Carson was selling the WASP program to avoid questions relating to the program, and since January he has not solicited business from the courts.
They defended the 1998 lease for the Eastern District Court building because Carson obtained it through competitive bidding. Carson worked for the county auditor's office at the time.
Commissioners successfully defended a lawsuit filed against them over the awarding of the lease to Carson. The lease is up for renewal in five years.
Carson makes $54,000 a year from the lease and $69,943 as county administrator.
siff@vindy.com