Thursday, March 19, 2009
YOUNGSTOWN — Judge Mark Belinky of Mahoning County Probate Court said he considers his demand for a $915,715 court budget for this year to be firm and non-negotiable.
“If they (the county commissioners) don’t allocate it, we will have to go to court,” Judge Belinky said. “I’m confident it’s reasonable under the law,” the judge said of his order.
Judge Belinky commented this afternoon following his meeting with County Commissioners Anthony T. Traficanti, John A. McNally IV and David N. Ludt and County Administrator George J. Tablack.
If the commissioners don’t provide the full amount, which he ordered for his court in a March 6 judgment entry, he will appeal to the Seventh District Court of Appeals, and the case might go from there to the Ohio Supreme Court, Judge Belinky said.
“I’m not going to put the people we care for at risk. I had to put an order on,” Judge Belinky said. The probate court spent $762,859 last year, but the judge recently hired two new employees, saying the court was understaffed.
“Judge, I appreciate your sincerity,” said Traficanti, who is chairman of the commissioners. Given current economic conditions, Traficanti told the judge at the end of the meeting: “I just think the timing of the court order was ugly, but I certainly can understand that you need your ability to run your court.”
Read more in Friday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com