TRUMBULL COUNTY Officials seek commission's ruling in job conflict case

The county administrator says he is getting rid of his private jail.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The Trumbull County prosecutor will ask the Ohio Ethics Commission to rule whether Trumbull County Administrator Tony Carson's business interests present a conflict of interest with his job.
A formal request will be mailed to the ethics commission this week, said first assistant prosecutor James Misocky.
"Dennis [Watkins] is going to write a letter to ask for clarification," he said.
Watkins declined to comment.
Owns jail, building
Carson, whom county commissioners promoted from purchasing director to county administrator this month, owns Warren Area Sentencing Program, a private jail that takes county inmates, and also the Central District Court building, which he rents to the county.
Last week, Carson said he will rid himself of the jail program, which houses inmates in rented space in the Warren Police Station.
"I stand by what I said," he said Wednesday. He said he would comply with any opinion from the ethics commission.
As county administrator, Carson has a role in setting budgets for the county and municipal courts that refer inmates to his sentencing program. The program does not receive direct payments from the courts, but inmates are required to pay about $50 a day.
Began leasing building
Carson began leasing the Central District Court building to the county in 1999, when he was an employee of the county auditor. The 10-year lease, which costs the county $54,000 annually, was awarded through competitive bidding.
State law generally prohibits county workers from doing business with their employer. However, James Misocky, first assistant prosecutor, has said Carson's lease with the county met a set of exceptions that prohibit preferential treatment or inside dealing.