Salem council appoints interim service director

The mayor said the city has had a safety director almost every year since 1905.

By D.A. WILKINSON

VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU

SALEM — Despite a request from new Mayor Jerry Wolford to look to the future, city council started 2008 by diving back into the politics of 2007.

Wolford, in his first address to council on Wednesday, said, “The future ‘state of the city’ will be determined in large part by what we as a community want it to be.”

The mayor said the city overall, its economy and pride are in good shape — but are slipping.

Wolford asked council to appoint his candidates for service and safety director.

Wolford, a Republican, wants to see Steve Andres, a Democrat and former councilman who helped Wolford get elected, as service director; and Greg Oesch, a Republican and former councilman, named as the safety director.

Andres was defeated in part over his backing a joint fire district with Perry Township, where Wolford was serving as trustee. Oesch was unopposed in the primary but later withdrew from the race for re-election.

Wolford pointed out the city has had a safety director since 1905, with the exception of a few years during the 1950s.

But Democrats now have a majority on council, including those who supported the Salem Fire Department, which would have been eliminated by the district. The State Employment Relations Board stopped the fire district from starting.

At the start of the meeting, however, council spent an hour in executive session discussing personnel moves. It then spent about half an hour voting.

Andres was appointed service director on an interim basis. The job pays about $51,000 annually.

The safety director’s post pays about $8,200 a year.

Councilman Justin Palmer tried unsuccessfully to pass legislation to combine the two posts. He said it was a plan he promoted as a cost-cutting measure when he ran unsuccessfully in the 2007 Democratic mayoral primary.

But the effort failed because it did not have enough of a majority of council members to pass.

The Democrats on council were short one vote because Councilman Earl A. Schory has resigned. He did so to qualify for health benefits from the state Public Employees Retirement System.

Schory previously served as a councilman and city law director. He underwent intestinal surgery in 1995, and has had recurring illnesses. He said the state benefits would cost $40 a month instead of thousands of dollars a year.

Council took no action to name a council member to replace Schory.

Schory has to be off council for two months to qualify for PERS. He said any replacement would have to voluntarily give up the post for him to be reappointed. Schory acknowledged that his replacement may not resign.

wilkinson@vindy.com