Carson must repay Trumbull County

WARREN — Former Trumbull County Administrator Tony Carson Jr. will have to repay $9,568 in unemployment compensation benefits.

The Ohio Uemployment Compensation Review Commission has ruled that he resigned in July 2006 without just cause.

R. Keller Rohde, a hearing officer with the commission, said in a decision received by the county today that Carson was not justified in quitting because of behavior by Commissioner Paul Heltzel last July.

“Mr. Heltzel, during the last month of [Carson’s] employment, was demanding, abrasive, vulgar and loud,” the report submitted with its decision said. “It is understandable [Carson] did   not care for the way Mr. Heltzel treated him and the other employees. That does not necessarily mean, however, that [Carson] was reasonably justified in quitting.”

The decision said Carson failed to demonstrate that there was any likelihood he would be held responsible for the way Heltzel behaved toward staff members working under Carson at the commissioner’s office, and failed to demonstrate that Heltzel would have been able to get Carson fired.

It added that Carson failed to make a reasonable effort to resolve the conflict between him and Heltzel by speaking directly with Heltzel about it.

Carson received unemployment benefits of $9,568 through Jan. 20 and will have to repay those, the decision said.

Carson abruptly resigned July 26, 2006, after being summoned to the commissioners’ office after learning that Heltzel was unhappy with him for failing to complete a task.