City official suspended for one day without pay

City official draws 1-day suspension

YOUNGSTOWN

The mayor will suspend the city’s deputy director of public works for one day without pay for failing to inform all business owners impacted by a major sewer project on a key section of one of downtown’s busiest roads.

Mayor Charles Sammarone said Charles Shasho, deputy director of the public works department, has to be responsible for his actions.

“It’s his first suspension, so it’s one day,” said Sammarone, who considered a penalty of three days. “The point isn’t the length of the suspension. The point is to make sure it doesn’t happen again. The suspension is to drive home a thought that [there are repercussions] when you screw up. I keep pushing accountability. If you make mistakes, you’ve got to be held accountable.”

As for the suspension, Sammarone said it’s only one day out of “the kindness of my heart.”

Shasho declined Tuesday to comment to The Vindicator about the suspension.

The suspension, likely to be Monday, will cost Shasho about $323. He earned $83,948 in salary last year, according to payroll records provided by the city’s finance department.

Sammarone said he met with Shasho and others before the Feb. 4 start of the $1 million sewer project that shut down West Federal Street near Phelps Street. The intersection reopened Tuesday.

At that meeting, Sammarone said he specifically told Shasho to inform every business owner in the area about the project.