Some Youngstown council staff to lose civil-service status

YOUNGSTOWN — At the request of city council, a commission has agreed that council’s assistant and deputy clerk positions are no longer civil-service protected jobs and serve at the pleasure of the seven-member body.

That means those clerks can be hired, fired, promoted or demoted by council.

On Wednesday, council will consider a resolution in support of the change — which its members requested of the civil service commission and received a few weeks ago.

After the resolution vote, council expects to vote on promoting Jennifer Ozenghar from first deputy clerk to first assistant clerk, said Valencia Marrow, clerk of council. That would raise Ozenghar’s annual salary from $42,016 to $51,580, according to Kyle Miasek, the city’s deputy finance director.

For the complete story, read Tuesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com