Boardman delays cuts in budget, work force

Trustees plan to try again for a tax levy for township services.

By DENISE DICK

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

BOARDMAN — Township employees will have to wait at least another week before learning how the layoff ax will fall, and upon whom.

After a two-hour executive session Wednesday, trustees announced that $2.5 million must be cut from appropriations. Each department head will get a number with which to work and trustees will pass a revised appropriation at next week’s regular meeting.

The numbers for each department haven’t been finalized, Robyn Gallitto, trustees’ chairwoman, said. But the amounts are proportionate for each department.

The announcement didn’t go over well with the people who filled the auditorium inside the government centers.

Calls of “What’s the number?” “How many people?” and “You’re messing with people’s lives,” came from the audience.

“We’re trying to be as sensitive as we possibly can be,” said Trustee Larry Moliterno. “We came up with the numbers for the department heads to take back to the workers.”

Gallitto also said that the township would seek a levy again “as soon as possible.” She called on those in the audience, both employees and residents, to support it and to work on the committee.

What kind of levy it will be will be “committee driven,” she said.

Last November, voters rejected a 4.1-mill operating levy that would have generated about $4 million annually.

Harry Wolfe, president of the union representing firefighters, said he’s willing to sit down with trustees to try to devise a way to minimize layoffs to the fire department, but he recognizes that some firefighters will likely be laid off.

Firefighters from across the state attended the meeting to show support for their township counterparts. Many lined the sidewalk leading to the government center before the meeting carrying signs warning of the dangers of drastic layoffs in the fire department.

“It was a long, arduous task, but we have to get our appropriation to a manageable level,” Trustee Kathy Miller said.

Before going into executive session, trustees heard from residents and employees concerned about impending cuts.

Clarence Smith, a longtime resident and businessman, told the trustees that they need to come together and do what’s best for the community.

“You are to take care of the community,” he said. “That’s your charge.”

Joe Mistovich of Appleridge Drive said he moved to Boardman in 1984 because of the safety forces.

“One of the reasons for the failure of the levy is because people don’t know what they have, he said,

He lauded the response time of the police and fire departments as well as emergency medical personnel, stressing the importance of time in administering medical care.

“You talked about how it would be tragic to lose one job; what would really be tragic would be to lose one township resident’s life,” Mistovich said.