Traficanti looks for consolidation

A consultant will do a county employee salary and productivity survey.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County Commissioner Anthony Traficanti has renewed his call for consolidation of county courts, except the one in Sebring, into one county-owned complex.
Traficanti said he hopes the county court judges would "entertain the thought of our consolidating them under one roof." The county court judges sit in Boardman, Canfield, Austintown and Sebring.
"I'm only one person. I can't carry the whole burden of this county on me. I need help," to make court consolidation a reality, he said. "The judges want to do their due diligence," in studying such a move, which might result in the judges going from part time to full time, he said at Tuesday's commissioners' meeting.
Traficanti made his remarks after David Piper of Boardman, who regularly attends meetings, told the commissioners: "We need to move those courts," either to the Southside Annex on Market Street or to a newly constructed building.
Piper also wondered why the public wasn't told about the $417,328 accumulated real estate tax liability on Oakhill Renaissance Center -- the former Forum Health Southside Medical Center -- when commissioners first expressed interest in that building.
Commissioners have given the public no information on renovation and other costs associated with turning Oakhill into a county government complex, Piper said.
"We could have owned an establishment for Job and Family Services many years ago," if county officials had made the right decisions, said resident John Paulette of Austintown. The county has leased offices for JFS at Garland Plaza on the city's East Side since 1988.
"As far as the numbers go with the Southside Hospital, the commissioners have done their due diligence. We're in a bid situation, so I have no further comment," Traficanti said.
Commissioners voted 2-1 last month to take responsibility for a $450,000 loan from the Ohio Department of Development to Southside Community Development Corp., owner of Oakhill.
The nonprofit SCDC filed for Chapter 7 liquidation bankruptcy May 3, and Melissa Macejko, attorney for bankruptcy trustee Andrew W. Suhar, said the trustee can only afford to operate Oakhill for another 75 to 90 days.
Other decisions
Also at their meeting, commissioners entered into a $32,500 professional services agreement with The Archer Co. LLC of Westerville, which will perform a salary and productivity evaluation of county employees in comparison to their counterparts in other counties.
"Are we underpaying our people? Are we overpaying them? We need to know that," said Commissioner David N. Ludt.
They also awarded $10,000 in county discretionary funds for a half-mile walking path around South Side Park in Sebring.
The next commissioners meeting will be at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Beaver Township Administration Building, state Routes 164 and 165.