Officials interested in keeping their jobs

The mayor-elect can make 15 appointments.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- At least three top city administrators are interested in keeping their jobs when Mayor-elect Jay Williams takes control of city hall.
Williams is establishing a nine- to 13-member transition team to evaluate the qualifications of applicants for seven key positions in the city administration. Williams said he'll make the final decisions.
Those positions are prosecutor, deputy director of public works, finance director, fire chief, police chief, law director and water commissioner.
The deadline to apply for the jobs is 4 p.m. Dec. 12.
The city's former Community Development Agency director for five years, Williams worked with the people who hold those seven positions.
Finance Director David Bozanich, who earns $81,109.60 annually, said he will apply for the job he's held for almost five years. Bozanich has served 23 years as finance director or deputy director, and has civil-service protection. That means if Williams doesn't retain Bozanich as finance director, Bozanich automatically becomes deputy finance director.
Confirmation needed
Unlike other mayoral appointments, the finance director appointment needs to be confirmed by city council.
Police Chief Robert Bush, who's held that job for almost five years, sent a r & eacute;sum & eacute; to Williams after the mayor-elect won the Nov. 8 election.
Bush, who earns $80,069.86 annually as police chief, said he will submit his r & eacute;sum & eacute; again to Williams.
Bush, who served nearly four years as the city law director, said his letter asks Williams to consider him for police chief or law director.
Fire Chief John J. O'Neill Jr., who earns $80,069.86 annually, will apply to keep the job he's held for the past eight years.
Like Bozanich, O'Neill has civil-service protection. If Williams opts to hire someone else as fire chief, O'Neill would return to his old job as a battalion chief.
Carmen Conglose Jr., the city's deputy director of public works since September 1997, had no comment when asked if he would apply for his job. Conglose earns $87,788.22 annually in his post.
Conglose was initially hired as a civil-service employee so even if Williams replaces him in his current post, he could stay a city employee.
Undecided
Law Director Iris Guglucello, who's held the job for about two years, said she hasn't decided if she'll apply for her job. Her annual salary is $81,109.60.
Prosecutor Dionne Almasy, who earns $62,879.44 annually, couldn't be reached Wednesday to comment.
Water Commissioner Charles P. Sammarone, who's held that job for almost four years, was elected Nov. 8 to serve as council president, so he won't apply for the commissioner job. Sammarone earned $66,731.34 annually as commissioner.
Williams had asked applicants Monday to send originals and two copies of a cover letter, r & eacute;sum & eacute; and six professional references to Youngstown's Civil Service Commission.
None of the seven jobs are civil-service posts.
Second thoughts
Williams said he had second thoughts about using the city commission because he wasn't sure if it was appropriate to use a city office for such purposes.
Instead, Williams decided Tuesday to have those applying for jobs send that information to his campaign headquarters at City Centre One, 100 Federal St., Suite 198, Youngstown 44503. The one application received by the commission was forwarded to Williams' campaign headquarters.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with" using the city commission to collect applications, Williams said. "But to avoid any appearance of impropriety, I decided not to use" the commission.
The mayor can make 15 total appointees.
The other eight positions include deputy and assistant law directors, assistant prosecutors, secretary to the mayor and the mayor's executive secretary.
Michaela Warren, who served as secretary to McKelvey for nearly eight years, resigned from the post in mid-October. The job pays $63,413.74 annually.
Warren took a laborer job in the water department that pays $24,430.38 annually. Her duties include traffic control at water repair sites and painting fire hydrants, said Eugene Leson Jr., the department's chief engineer. The department is pleased with her work, he said.
In about two weeks, Warren will complete her probationary period and her job would be protected under city civil-service rules, Leson said.
Before taking the city post, Warren spent eight years as the administrative assistant in the Mahoning County Treasurer's Office when McKelvey served as treasurer.
McKelvey said he "picked up some indications" Warren was going to stop working for the city after Williams took over as mayor and he didn't want to see her leave public service. Warren couldn't be reached Wednesday to comment.
Williams plans to hire a secretary to the mayor, but he wants to change the name of the position, probably to chief of staff, and give significant responsibilities to that person.
Williams said he won't reveal the names of his transition team and he would not disclose the names of those applying for Cabinet jobs. Williams, who takes office Jan. 6, said those people deserve privacy and there is no law compelling him to reveal the names.
skolnick@vindy.com