COLUMBIANA COUNTY Judge to rule on request to block layoffs

LISBON -- Unless a judge forbids it, East Liverpool plans to lay off six police officers Sunday in a move city officials say will help offset a looming deficit.
Judge C. Ashley Pike of Columbiana County Common Pleas Court heard arguments for and against the furloughs at a hearing Wednesday.
The judge said he will make a decision by noon Friday on the Fraternal Order of Police's motion for an order blocking the layoffs.
City officials have said the layoffs, which will reduce the police force to about 14 patrolmen, are necessary to help pare a nearly $1.2 million deficit forecast for the city budget this year.
But James Boomer, an FOP staff representative, said during the hearing that the city is idling police officers without considering the impact on safety.
The force reduction could sometimes result in police having only one officer available to respond to calls, Boomer claimed.
City officials are opting for the cuts without fully taking advantage of other savings strategies and revenue sources, he insisted.
The layoff dispute should be decided through the grievance procedure spelled out in the city's labor contract with police, not in court, argued city Law Director Charles Payne.