Conglose to repay city if ordered

By David Skolnick

The former official gave about $3,000 to his attorney to pay the city if required.

YOUNGSTOWN — Carmen S. Conglose contends he’s entitled to the money he received from the city in education bonuses, but he’ll give it back if an investigation determines he shouldn’t have received it.

Matthew Blair, one of Conglose’s attorneys, said Friday that Conglose, a former city deputy director of public works, gave him about $3,000, the estimated amount he received for the education bonuses, to hold.

It would be immediately paid to the city if it’s determined Conglose improperly received the money, said Blair, his co-legal counsel with David Engler.

In a prepared statement released Friday, Conglose wrote he “would work diligently” with those investigating the matter.

The city law department and state auditor’s office are investigating Conglose’s receiving annual education bonuses given by the city to some of its employees for having college degrees.

The investigation could lead to criminal charges, city officials said.

In an e-mail sent to Blair’s office accidentally faxed to The Vindicator, Engler wrote that Blair should call the mayor sometime “soon to try to keep the client from being prosecuted.”

Mayor Jay Williams said a decision on what to do with Conglose will be made after the investigation is done.

Between 1999 and 2007, Conglose received the bonuses, about $3,000 in total. A fake 1986 bachelor of science degree in applied science from Youngstown State University is in Conglose’s personnel file at the city finance department.

When Williams asked Feb. 14 about the bogus degree, Conglose said he had no idea about it or how it got into one of his personnel files. Williams had rehired Conglose earlier this month as the part-time traffic coordinator at an annual salary of up to $42,577. Conglose retired Dec. 31 as the head of public works, a job that paid $93,132 a year.

Conglose wrote in his statement “that at no time did I intentionally try to confuse the city into paying me a bonus for which I did not qualify.”

He wrote that he was asked seven times during his time as a city employee about having a college degree and he said he didn’t have one from YSU.

But The Vindicator reported Wednesday that Conglose testified in a sworn court deposition that he earned that degree.

In his Friday statement, Conglose wrote: “The deposition quoted in the paper is a different matter [than the fake degree], and I would need to read what was transcribed and if I ever reviewed my answers at the deposition. I cannot remember.”

During his Feb. 14 conversation with Williams, Conglose resigned “to allow the mayor to replace me with someone who can perform the important duties that are required of my former position without the distraction of the current controversy.”

Earlier this week, Conglose said his resignation wasn’t a sign of guilt, but he was fed up with how some city employees treated him and talked about him.

Conglose contends his 1990 surveyor’s license was viewed by the state as equivalent to a four-year college degree; something disputed by the head of the state agency that gives the licenses.

Conglose also wrote he has a bachelor’s degree in 2004 from an “online university,” which he didn’t name. That “online” degree isn’t in his personnel file.

Blair contends the city council ordinance on education bonuses “is silent as to what type of degree is expected for the verification process.”

When council approved the education bonus provision in 1999 the legislation didn’t include language about accredited universities. But a March 23, 2006, ordinance requires degrees from accredited universities.

Conglose also wrote that he has about 100 credit hours at YSU. To receive a bachelor’s degree from the university, a student needs 124 hours.

The education bonus policy was done by the “honor system” before the phony degree in Conglose’s file was discovered through an anonymous tip, Williams said.

The mayor changed the policy Wednesday in light of this incident and ordered city officials to check the authenticity of degrees for every employee who receives a bonus for having them.

“I apologize to the mayor and the administration for this distraction and will work with them to clarify the issue in quick order,” Conglose wrote.

skolnick@vindy.com