RECYCLING DIVISION Commissioners table vote for replacement

Commissioner David Ludt said the full board should vote on the appointment.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County commissioners will try again next week to name a replacement for Timothy Berlekamp, who is resigning today as director of the county recycling division.
John Cox was in line to be promoted to the post Thursday, but commissioners couldn't reach a consensus and the matter was left on the back burner.
Berlekamp has been hired as director of planning and business development for the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio, which is in Columbus. Cox has worked as his assistant director for the past five years.
The agenda for the commissioners' meeting Thursday included a resolution to appoint Cox to the director's position. But after more than an hour of wrangling -- including a 45-minute executive session -- they took no action and said they'll bring it up again when they meet Tuesday.
After hearing public input both for and against Cox's appointment, Commissioner Ed Reese asked for a motion to appoint Cox to the director's position. Commissioner David Ludt remained silent, and Commissioner Vicki Allen Sherlock was not there to make a motion.
Tabled matter
Later, Reese made a motion to hire Cox and Ludt seconded the motion. But before a vote could be taken, Ludt asked that the matter be tabled until Sherlock is present so the entire board can vote.
"I want to take a little more time and I think we need a full board here to vote on this," said Ludt. "I just want to make it seem fair. I don't want to make it seem like the good old boys are at work."
Ludt and Reese said Sherlock called their office about 10 minutes before the meeting was to start and said she could not attend. Neither knew why, and Sherlock could not be reached later to comment.
Reese said he and Ludt should have been able to appoint Cox without Sherlock and without conducting a search to fill the position, as some at Thursday's meeting urged them to do.
"We have a succession plan in place for situations like this," Reese said. "We need to give our employees a chance to move up if they have done a good job."
Wants job posted
Ludt said he's not against hiring Cox, and might vote for him if the matter comes up next week. However, he thinks the job should be posted and other applicants sought.
"We should be posting every position. That's the fair thing," Ludt said. "John Cox is my friend and he is probably well-qualified, but I want to make this fair."
Cox was recommended by, among others, Berlekamp and county Health Commissioner Matthew Stefanak, who serves on the county solid waste policy board. Austintown residents John Paulette, Bruce Paulette and Mark Cleland urged commissioners to do a search before hiring anyone.
Connie Pierce, human resources director, said if Cox is named director his salary will increase from $58,300 a year to $65,000 a year.
Cox, a former Boardman Township trustee, attended the meeting and said he was disappointed but not surprised at the outcome.
bjackson@vindy.com