Council eliminates safety director’s post

Committee members talked to communities in three counties.

By D.A. WILKINSON

VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU

SALEM — Mayor Jerry Wolford said he will consider his options now that council has eliminated the city safety director’s post.

“I personally believe there is a need for someone in that position,” said Wolford, a Republican.

Council voted 5-2 Tuesday night to eliminate the position.

Law Director Brooke Zellers said that Wolford could also veto the legislation by not signing it.

But the five Democrats on council who voted for the legislation could overturn a veto. The other two council members are a Republican and an independent.

At-large Councilman Justin Palmer had said he had introduced the legislation to reduce costs.

Council’s rules and ordinances committee contacted communities in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana county to find out how their safety and service efforts were administered.

Before the council meeting, the committee members said they found only three communities had separate safety and service directors.

Salem has had both a safety and service director since 1905, when motorized traffic was beginning. The positions were combined for a few years in the 1950s.

In Salem, Republican Greg Oesch has been the safety director since Wolford took over Jan. 1. The position pays $8,200 a year.

Steve Andres is the service director, who is paid about $51,000 a year. He’s a Democrat who worked to elect Wolford.

Zellers said that Andres could take over the duties but under city ordinance would not get any extra pay.

In what may have been his last report to council, Oesch told council that he has been doing “strategic planning” with the city schools, that two firetrucks need repairs, and a damaged police car will either be scrapped or repaired.

Elizabeth Thatcher, a former council member and a former school board member, told the rules and ordinances committee, “I hope this isn’t going to be a political decision.”

Councilman Clyde Brown, chairman of the rules and ordinances committee, said that the committee’s job was to research the positions.

“That’s what we did,” Brown said.

wilkinson@vindy.com