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Community-action agency fires worker
YOUNGSTOWN
Jamira Ellis, a longtime MYCAP employee who managed the operation and compliance of the state-funded Home Energy Assistance Program and Direct Emergency Service, has been fired.
On Friday, John A. Wilson, interim executive director of the Mahoning Youngstown Community Action Partnership, filed a report with Youngstown police alleging a theft had taken place.
Ellis was fired Feb. 4. A letter was sent from MYCAP to city Prosecutor Jay Macejko on Feb. 28 to review the matter. She has not been charged criminally.
MYCAP officials “believe [Ellis] improperly and knowingly received benefits in a form of a water bill payment and an air conditioner for a vacant structure at 154 McClure St. in Struthers, Ohio, which she owned. ...[Ellis] portrayed the residence to MYCAP as it being her mother’s residence and thus qualifying her mother for the benefits mentioned above,” according to the police report.
The house, however, is slated for demolition this year, said Struthers Safety-Service Director Edward H. Wildes.
Ellis was fired because “the awarding of benefits to a building that she is recognized as an owner presents a conflict-of-interest situation,” according to the letter sent to Macejko.
“We were concerned it may also have another level of liability because the funds originate with taxpayer funding from the state. We want to provide opportunity for an independent investigation to see if what there was really amounted to something more serious than just not complying with our policy safeguards,” Wilson said.
He added that some of the water payments have been repaid.
The firing comes a year after Ohio Department of Development completed its financial review of the agency, which resulted in the firing of its former director, Richard Roller III.
Wilson is part of a team that has been restructuring MYCAP’s finances, policies and procedures and directing the search for a new executive director for the agency.