Mayor asks for two staff posts

Council will also consider filling a job that has been vacant.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- City council will consider legislation to create two jobs -- human resource supervisor and deputy director of economic development -- that Mayor Jay Williams says are vital to the city's future.
Williams said the city is in desperate need of a centralized human resources department.
Although Williams wants an entire department handling human resources, he said the city doesn't have the money for that. Instead, the mayor is proposing the creation of a human resource supervisor position, and, if money is available in the future, adding staff to create a department.
"What exists as far as human resources in the city is unacceptable," Williams said. "We don't have a department devoted to human resources, and we need one when we're talking about a city with about 850 employees."
The job would pay $46,321.08 annually under Williams' proposal.
Economic development
Williams also wants council to create the job of deputy director of economic development. The job would pay $55,035 annually.
With the city's focus on economic development, there is the need for a deputy director in that department, Williams said.
The two jobs would go through the civil service testing process, and it could take time before they are filled, Williams said.
The mayor said he thinks city council will approve legislation creating the two jobs based on conversations he's had with its members.
City council meets at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday to consider the creation of the two jobs as well as the hiring of a claims investigator in the law department and a salary increase and job title change for Jason Whitehead, secretary to the mayor.
The city has operated without a claims investigator for the past two years, Williams said. The civil service position would pay $38,056.20 annually. The person selected for the post would handle the city's workers' compensation claims.
Salary increase
Also, Williams wants council to increase Whitehead's annual salary from $64,999.22 to $69,929.81, and rename the job title to secretary/chief of staff to the mayor. Williams had proposed the salary increase for Whitehead in January. But council postponed a vote, saying it first wanted to adopt the city budget.
There is money in the city's general fund budget for the claims investigator and the salary increase for Whitehead, said Williams, who expects council to approve those two pieces of legislation Wednesday.
Council will vote Wednesday on the city's budgets, including its enterprise, improvements and operating funds. The $39.82 million general fund is the largest component of its operating funds.
The general fund finished 2005 with a $2.29 million surplus.
On Wednesday, council will also vote to take the necessary steps to authorize the board of control to take ownership of the vacant Erie Terminal building on Commerce Street, and seek proposals from developers for the property.
The city has offered to buy the building for $300,000 from the state, the first mortgage holder on the property.
skolnick@vindy.com