Salem ‘After Party’ plan gets a second reading

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Jerry Wolford

Steel Valley Supernationals 2009

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By D.a. Wilkinson

The mayor and a councilman disagree on whether the city faces any liability.

SALEM — Mayor Jerry Wolford will have to wait until next week to set up a city fund to help pay for “After Party” events next year.

He did get a second of three needed readings of the legislation Thursday but not without some flack.

Wolford said after the meeting he would have to wait until next Tuesday when council has previously set a committee of the whole meeting on a different topic.

The mayor said he couldn’t call a council meeting before then because council members have other jobs that take up their time.

Wolford and Dan Swindell, owner of Quaker City Raceway north of the city, have a handshake deal to cooperate on a racing event. Corey Ward of Austintown, who ran the Steel Valley Supernationals for four years, was shut out by Swindell’s move.

Swindell plans to run the “Quaker City Super Nats” at his raceway.

Wolford wants the city to handle funds from concessions and other businesses that take part in the “After Party” eating and drinking after people leave the race track.

Racing at the track and “After Party” events are separate.

But Wolford said the city’s overtime bills for police and other services haven’t been paid in recent years by “After Party” functions.

Councilman Clyde Brown said at Thursday’s council meeting that he wanted to postpone voting on the issue.

Wolford said concessionaires want to pay the city now for next year.

Wolford said that city law director Brooke Zellers had said the city doesn’t have any legal problems with the plan.

“Liability is not going to be a problem,” Wolford said.

But Brown told the mayor, “I think we are putting ourselves in a very precarious position.”

The mayor’s plan faces other hurdles. Councilman Dave Nestic said that he wants to see a plan from the city on how it will oversee events in the city.

wilkinson@vindy.com