DeChristofaro rehires 2 employees

The new county engineer vows to hire no family members or ‘cronies.’

STAFF REPORT

WARREN — Trumbull County Engineer David DeChristofaro has found new jobs in his department for two people laid off Jan. 5, but he wants the public to know that he has not brought in relatives and friends.

On his first day as county engineer Jan. 5, DeChristofaro fired Nicole Klingeman, a fiscal assistant, and laid off four other clerical and technical employees, saying the office was “overstaffed with clerical workers and office staff” and citing concerns for reduced revenue.

Two of the four laid-off workers were relatives of John Latell, the former county engineer who left office Jan. 2. They were Latell’s daughter-in-law, Amanda Latell, who served as secretary to former deputy engineer Randy Smith; and Latell’s son-in-law, Matthew P. Dohy, who served as a surveyor.

On Friday, DeChristofaro’s office issued a press release saying that two of the four laid-off workers were being assigned to different jobs.

Lisa Blair, formerly a secretary, was assigned a job as payroll assistant. Her pay rate of $17.37 per hour remains the same as in her old job.

Wayne Hickman, formerly an engineering technician, was given the job of engineer at a pay rate of $17.71 per hour. He formerly made $20.84 per hour, said David Rouan, DeChristofaro’s director of administration and government affairs. Hickman’s pay is lower than his old job because he will earn 85 percent of the full rate for the first year, Rouan said.

DeChristofaro said Blair and Hickman are not relatives or family members of his. He has not hired any family members, relatives or “cronies” and will stick to his promise not to, he added.

Rouan is the only employee DeChristofaro has brought into the department, and he hired Rouan strictly for his qualifications, DeChristofaro said, adding that he didn’t even know Rouan all that well before he hired him. Rouan has bachelor’s and master’s degrees and is working on his dissertation for a doctorate in public administration.

DeChristofaro hired Enzo Cantalamessa as part-time legal adviser to replace Atty. Kurt Latell, of Girard, the former engineer’s nephew.

“It’s no secret that the previous administration hired family members and relatives,” DeChristofaro said.

“I have made a commitment not to hire any family members or relatives, and I intend to only hire qualified people for my office,” he said.

DeChristofaro’s last day as a vice president for the Cafaro Co. of Youngstown was Jan. 2.