TRUMBULL COUNTY Polivka's mother gets full-time job

It has been done before, one commissioner said.
WARREN -- The hiring of Trumbull County Commissioner Dan Polivka's mother to a full-time position with the county Department of Job and Family Services is producing mixed opinions from fellow commissioners.
Commissioner Paul Heltzel said he recalls voting in June to approve the hiring of Donna G. Polivka to a position as student intern in the senior-citizen division.
"At the time, it was temporary employment," he said. But with regard to her hiring late last month to a full-time position, he said, "We didn't vote on it."
Commissioners didn't have to vote on her permanent hiring, officials say, because her hiring had been previously voted on for the temporary position.
"I think she would be a great asset," Polivka said of the hiring. "It's an entry-level position."
Polivka abstained from voting when her hiring came up in June.
Commissioner Jim Tsagaris said he wouldn't hire his relatives. "I'm not saying it's a good idea. I don't think I would want them to go through that hassle," he said.
He added that if Tom Mahoney, Job and Family Services director, "can use her, I think it's OK. I've never denied anyone an opportunity to have a job."
He said he believes most commissioners in the past have hired family members to work for the county.
Mrs. Polivka's position as an intern paid her $9 per hour with no fringe benefits. She was hired last month to a permanent position as a receptionist at about $10.50 an hour, Mahoney said.
He was not pressured to hire her by anyone, Mahoney said, and added that her being a senior citizen made her a more attractive candidate.
Mrs. Polivka was appointed last month by the Trumbull County Democratic Party to a position as a central committee member representing precinct 3M in Warren.