Commissioners dock Gains' budget in response to raises granted his staff

AUSTINTOWN

Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul J. Gains says he hasn’t decided whether he’ll partly or fully rescind pay raises he gave his staff now that the county commissioners have docked his budget $100,000.

Over Gains’ protest tonight, the commissioners unanimously cut $100,000 from the prosecutor’s 2011 budget because of their dissatisfaction with raises Gains issued Jan. 31.

“All three county commissioners were extremely unhappy with the amount of money that was spent on raises for his staff,” Commissioner Chairman John A. McNally IV said of the $220,000 worth of increases.

Some of the raises were between $8,000 and $12,000 a year, McNally said, calling those “excessive” under current local economic conditions.

Gains called the move unprecedented and irresponsibl. It "will severely hinder our efforts to put criminals in prison and make this community a safer community,” he said.

For the complete story, read Thursday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.