MAHONING COUNTY Budget chief to leave post for job in private sector

Commissioners are not sure how or when they will replace Elizabeth Sublette.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County is losing another member of its top administrative staff.
Elizabeth Sublette, county budget director for nearly two years, is leaving in two weeks to take a position in the private sector job in Cleveland. Her last day with the county is March 5.
Sublette said she wanted to go back to working in the private sector and has to relocate for her new job. Sublette is a certified public accountant who worked for Cohen & amp; Co. before becoming budget director.
She is paid $62,000 a year as budget director.
"I hate to see her leave," said Commissioner David Ludt. "She's done a good job for us."
Sublette is the second administrative employee to leave the county in the last three months. Former county administrator Gary Kubic resigned Dec. 31 to become administrator of Beaufort County, S.C., and has yet to be replaced.
The county had been without a budget director for more than four years before Sublette was hired in June 2002. Her predecessor, Thomas Stanko, left in January 1998 to take a position with Youngstown State University.
Kubic did most of the budgetary work in the meantime, but Ludt said commissioners no longer have him to fall back on. Ludt and Commissioner Ed Reese said the budget director is a critical position, but they aren't sure if it will be filled immediately.
What's expected
Reese said commissioners will probably hold off on a decision until after the March 2 election, in which a 0.5 percent county sales tax is up for a five-year renewal. The tax brings in about $12 million a year, which accounts for about one-fourth of the county's annual general fund revenue.
He said if the renewal is defeated, the county will probably have a difficult time attracting strong candidates because of the unstable financial condition that will result from losing the revenue.
Ludt said commissioners might have someone already on staff with the county take over budgetary duties temporarily, until they decide what to do on a long-term basis.
"I think we can work through it," Ludt said.
Commissioner Vicki Allen Sherlock could not be reached to comment.
bjackson@vindy.com