MAHONING COUNTY Struthers council grants pay raises to city officials

It's unlikely the state Route 616 work will start before 2006, the mayor said.
By MARALINE KUBIK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
STRUTHERS -- City council, in a 7-0 decision, overrode the mayor's veto of an ordinance granting pay raises to city department heads.
The ordinance, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2004, grants raises of about 1.5 percent to the tax commissioner, superintendent of the sewage department, fire and police chiefs, safety-service director, working foreman in the street department and assistant plant manager in the sewage department.
Lawmakers took action on the mayor's veto at their Wednesday night meeting.
Council had unanimously approved the legislation at its meeting April 14, but Mayor Dan Mamula returned it unsigned two weeks later with a letter stating that the raises were inequitable when compared to those granted nonclassified employees.
What workers got
Nonclassified city employees were granted 3-percent raises, as the mayor had proposed in his budget. Mamula also recommended 3-percent raises for department heads, but council opted to reduce that amount.
As a result, the net gain for some department heads is lower than the increases some nonclassified workers received.
According to Mamula's letter, raises granted nonclassified workers range from $582 to $958; raises granted department heads range from $555 to $875.
Council did not reintroduce an ordinance reducing the hourly salary of the city's part-time litter-recycling coordinator, which the mayor also returned unsigned April 21. Council had unanimously approved that legislation at the April 14 meeting.
Council also approved ordinances creating a health department grant fund, a Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance-to-firefighters' fund, and a transfer of $20,591 from the 2004 general fund to the newly created FEMA fund.
Mayor's report
In his report to council, the mayor said that he had met earlier this week with officials from the Ohio Department of Transportation to move up the resurfacing of state Route 616 because of the road's continuing deterioration. ODOT has the resurfacing scheduled to begin in 2008.
ODOT has agreed to work with the city to move the construction project up, Mamula said, but because other projects are already planned, it is unlikely resurfacing of state Route 616 could begin before 2006 with completion in 2007, he said.
The city also is working with the Mahoning County Green Team to organize a scrap-tire drive in August, Mamula said. During the drive, Struthers residents will be able to dispose of up to six tires from cars and light trucks at a charge of 50 cents per tire; $1 per tire for those on rims.
A scrap-tire contractor certified by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and city recycling personnel would be responsible for monitoring the collection.
kubik@vindy.com