Sanitary engineering changes too costly, official says

WARREN — Trumbull County Commissioner Dan Polivka continues to believe that reassigning former sanitary engineer Gary Newbrough and promoting two other men to take the helm of the county’s sanitary engineering department was a mistake.

Polivka says one of the big reasons has to do with the payroll changes he believes will be necessary. Polivka said he thinks the reorganization will cost extra money in wages.

When Commissioners Paul Heltzel and Frank Fuda voted Aug. 22 to reorganize the department, Polivka voted no.

Rex Fee, who was promoted to executive director of the department, confirmed that he will take a wage freeze during 2007, despite his new duties. He is paid $70,928.

But Scott Verner, who was elevated to interim sanitary engineer, has not agreed to a wage freeze. No decision has been made on Newbrough’s salary, which is now $74,714.

Polivka said Thursday he believes the county will end up paying Verner a considerably larger amount of money to carry out his new responsibilities. Verner made $52,874 annually in his old job.

“All it’s going to do is cost more [in salary,]” Polivka said, adding that he thinks Newbrough “did a pretty good job.”

Heltzel and Fuda said problems within the department, including mistakes and missed deadlines, are reasons they made changes in the leadership of the department, which handles sanitary sewer and water issues for the county.