Salem mayor, council at odds over city affairs

Tear gas canisters that
expired in the 1970s were found in city hall.

By D.A. WILKINSON

VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU

SALEM — Progress or politics?

New Republican Mayor Jerry Wolford and council presented different pictures of the state of the city at a special meeting Tuesday.

Wolford called the meeting because he wants to keep Greg Oesch as safety director, while Democrat Councilman Justin Palmer, who was absent, wants to combine the safety and service director’s positions to save money.

The legislation had passed one reading, and it could have been approved at next week’s council meeting. Instead, it will go to the rules and ordinances committee for study.

Wolford had named Oesch, a Republican, to the part-time job that pays $8,454 a year.

Wolford also named former councilman Steven Andres, a Democrat, to the service director’s full-time job that pays about $51,000 a year.

Andres and Oesch openly worked against Democrat at-large councilman Clyde Brown’s unsuccessful bid for mayor last fall.

Wolford pointed out that Oesch oversees the safety forces with about a $3 million annual budget. Andres oversees the street department, with an $800,000 annual budget.

Democrats on council finally voted the issue into the all-Democrat rules and ordinances committee headed by Brown.

Oesch asked council members to meet with him individually to hear about problems he said he uncovered in order to legally get around Ohio’s Sunshine Law that governs open meetings.

Oesch said that many of the problems were personnel issues that couldn’t be discussed publicly.

But other problems were “no brainers,” such as getting rid of a store of tear gas canisters found in a police department closet. A bomb squad from Youngstown removed the canisters that had expired in the 1970s.

Oesch indicated that he eventually wanted to apply for Homeland Security funds for firetrucks.

But Brown said he could go directly to the fire or police chief to discuss city business. The city’s ordinances for the duties of the safety and service directors mostly refer to state law, he said.

And, since the terrorist attacks in 2001, the city hadn’t made any move to search for grant funds, Brown added.

New councilman Dennis Groves said, “This is not personal — period.” He moved that the issue be discussed by the rules and ordinances committee.

wilkinson@vindy.com