Commissioners seek ways to remove Felasco

The auditor's lawyer says she must issue pay checks to the treasurer.
By VIRGINIA ROSS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Lawrence County commissioners say they remain committed to finding a way to remove Gary Felasco from the county treasurer's post and the county housing authority board.
Or, at the very least, to keep him out of the courthouse.
Commissioners, at their weekly public meeting Tuesday, said they have asked County Solicitor John Hodge to continue exploring the county's options. Specifically, they are looking at a precedent set by an Allegheny County school board that has banned one of its members from school property.
"Apparently the school director was charged with a crime that had nothing to do with her duties on the school board, but the other board members still barred her from entering the school," Commissioner Steve Craig said. "That's a precedent we're looking at more closely. We want [Felasco] out of here just as much as the public does and we're very frustrated."
Felasco, 38, the county's elected treasurer, was charged last month with theft, embezzlement and other charges. He is free on $25,000 bond.
Paychecks at issue
For the past several weeks, commissioners have engaged in a tug-of-war with county Controller Mary Ann Reiter, who has maintained she must release Felasco's paycheck to him even though commissioners want her to deposit it into an escrow account until a pending criminal case against him is resolved.
Reiter said she issued a paycheck to Felasco on Friday under the advice of her office's legal counsel, Solicitor Daniel Soom. Two previous paychecks had been placed in escrow.
Reading from a prepared statement Tuesday at the commissioners meeting, Reiter said there is a child support order in place that requires her to withhold money from Felasco's paycheck, giving her even greater cause to heed Soom's legal advice to not withhold Felasco's paycheck.
Soom said Felasco's gross wages from two previous paychecks were placed in escrow, causing Reiter to be concerned because Felasco's child support payments were not being made as required by law.
She has said she plans to continue issuing his checks unless court-ordered not to.
In other news, commissioners appointed city resident J. Richard Mauk to the Lawrence County Airport Authority. Mauk is filling the unexpired term of John Drespling, who has resigned. The term ends June 1, 2006.