Commissioners should work together, name dog warden

Commissioners should work together, name dog warden
EDITOR:
After attending the Mahoning County Commissioners' meeting last week, I was aghast to see them show their current disdain with each other in public. By personally taking "pot shots" at each other when they should be showing some cohesiveness in conducting the major business of our county, leaves this taxpayer wondering if they take anything seriously.
They refused to merge ideas or come together with solutions to our county's problems.
On the issue of the appointment of the Mahoning County Dog Warden, I saw Mr. Ludt tell Dave Nelson that he couldn't appoint a dog warden because he wanted to look over the finances to see if the county could afford to appoint a dog warden. His reason is that the past warden retired and we need to see how much money was going to be taken out of the county finances to get that accomplished. I had no idea what he meant as I thought she retired under PERS.
Yet, a raise was given to John Cox, interim manager of solid waste, and two new people had been hired to work in solid waste this past year without a job posting. Where did that money come from? Why didn't they post those two new jobs and allow some county employees to have the opportunity to work in that area or move up?
I was at last Tuesday's meeting to voice my support for a new dog warden, along with seasoned veterinarians in our area. Drs. Allen and Wolcott , who have worked with Angels for Animals and Animal Charity for years ,and Mr. Kelty whose wife founded Animal Charity, were there to make a recommendation of Dave Nelson for the Dog Warden's position. He is the individual we hear most about when it comes to rescuing abused and hard to catch animals.
I was there to recommend Carol Keevey or Dave Nelson. I feel these two people had more vision for the future and expertise for the job than any other single individual the county administrators interviewed so far for that position. Carol Keevey, for being the former dog warden's assistant for the past eight years and Dave Nelson for his street experience and being one of the major administrators at Animal Charity for many years.
Who are these people we elected to make decisions for our county? I must say that I agreed with Mrs. Sherlock that day when she said, "We need to show leadership to the community, to get this sales tax passed." She said that "any decision was better than no decision." Where is the leadership? Where is the commitment to Mahoning County taxpayers? Where is the willingness to show a united effort for the benefit of the sales tax?
Why are the commissioners "dogging" the appointment of the Mahoning County dog warden. As they waiver, the animals and the county suffer.
Who is running the pound? How much money flows through the pound on a daily basis? Remember the $14,000 wrapped in a paper bag, locked in a desk drawer, stolen over a weekend? Could it be because there are three or four more jobs going to be available soon from retirements in pound? Are they going to use those jobs for more political appointments and favors to their special friends? Are they waiting for the next administration to get in to allow them to use that office for the new commissioners' personal gain?
I say stop the politics, appoint the right person and get on with the work that needs to be done for the animals, as well as the taxpayers' benefit. I am ready to begin a campaign to ask the residents of Mahoning County to protest the commissioners ' inaction by not pay for dog licenses until this issue is resolved.
R.A. KOVALOVSKY
Boardman