MAHONING COUNTY Campbell officials pitch in

The city will be in fiscal emergency within two weeks, one official said.
By MARALINE KUBIK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
CAMPBELL -- Members of council and Mayor Jack Dill have been tidying up around town -- cleaning restrooms and picking up debris, and erecting welcome signs at entrances to the city -- but they won't be cutting grass or operating city equipment.
The city's insurance policies wouldn't cover Campbell officials if they were injured while doing the work. Nor would it cover damage or injuries suffered by others as the result of the officials' actions because they are not employed to perform those duties, explained Law Director Brian J. Macala.
Council members discussed volunteering to help maintain properties in need of attention in their wards during a caucus meeting preceding Wednesday evening's regular council meeting. The city is short on personnel to perform the work because more than a handful of workers in the street, fire and water departments and the only custodian in the administration building were laid off to cut costs.
The workers were furloughed April 30 after city officials learned that several city funds were operating in the red.
Fiscal situation
Reconciliation of the city's books for 2002, completed by the state auditor's office earlier this year, revealed a collective deficit of $588,725. As a result, the city was placed in fiscal watch in March and city officials have been expecting that to be changed to fiscal emergency after reconciliation of the books for fiscal 2003.
During the caucus meeting, Finance Director John Leskovyansky told council that the state auditor had completed reconciliation of the city's books for 2003 and he expects Campbell to be placed in fiscal emergency within the next two weeks.
More information will be available before the next council meeting, June 16, Leskovyansky said.
During the regular meeting, council:
UUnanimously adopted a resolution authorizing the finance director to transfer $8,500 from the general fund to the Community Development Block Grant fund as repayment of an unauthorized loan from the CDBG account to the general fund by the previous finance director.
UAdopted a resolution in support of Bedford Downs, a proposed racetrack in Bedford, Pa.
UAdopted under emergency a resolution authorizing the Mahoning County auditor to remove liens placed on seven properties for unpaid water bills.
kubik@vindy.com