TRUMBULL COUNTY Law secures state funds; mayors cry foul

Two mayors believe Warren got extra state money as part of a ploy to keep Randy Law in office.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- State Rep. Randy Law, R-Warren, says he was just doing his job when he was able to secure $300,000 for the city in the state budget. But two local mayors think there is more to the story.
Warren Mayor Michael O'Brien and Hubbard Mayor Art Magee said during a press conference Thursday that they believe the city received the money as a ploy to keep Law elected. O'Brien said he believes the state Republicans wants to keep a Republican in office in this area, and that is the reason why the city got the money.
The money will replace the funds the city will lose because of local government fund cuts. The cuts are part of the $51 billion state budget that was approved by the House earlier this week.
"Does this mean he doesn't want it?" Law asked. "No one on the state level came up to me and offered this money. I asked for it. I went after it. There is no ploy."
Magee disagreed, saying the freshman representative is still learning where the bathrooms are located in the state capital and is too inexperienced to have obtained the funds if not for preferential treatment.
"It stinks," Magee said. "The other representatives would like to have money for their areas, too, so how come it's just Warren that got these funds?"
O'Brien said he didn't know the city was even going to receive the funds until Wednesday. Law said he had told O'Brien he was working on something but hadn't offered many details.
"I didn't want to say I was going to get this money, because I didn't know if I could," Law said.
When Law found out that the local government fund cut meant that the city was going to lose about $360,000, he decided to find a way to make sure the city is covered, he said.
"For some of the bigger cities, $300,000 may mean that they can't paint a water tower, but for Warren that amount of money is critical," Law said. "I knew that I had to do something because that money would really hurt us."
sinkovich@vindy.com