City schools treasurer seeks part-time status

By Denise Dick

denise_dick@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

James Reinhard began as part-time Youngstown City Schools treasurer and he wants to return to that status.

Reinhard’s contract expires July 31. He’s told school board members after that date he’d like to work four days per week.

On Fridays, which would be Reinhard’s day off, other employees in the office would fill in.

“It would be just like when I’m on vacation,” Reinhard said.

Brenda Kimble, school board president, said the board hasn’t discussed Reinhard’s request. She said the board has talked about restructuring the treasurer’s office.

“He’s excellent at what he does,” she said. “He was the fiscal monitor from the state. ... He’s very capable. I think whatever he decides to do in that office will be well-respected and well-taken.”

Reinhard, the retired treasurer of Canton City Schools, was appointed in December 2012 as the Youngstown Schools Academic Distress Commission-appointed fiscal monitor in the school district. That’s when the commission took over budget authority because of a projected deficit.

The commission, through the fiscal monitor, had to approve all contracts and all expenditures exceeding $5,000.

In April 2013, the school board hired him as part-time treasurer before hiring him full time that November. His full-time salary is about $70,000 annually.

Budget authority was returned to the school board.

Reinhard was tapped as district treasurer after the board conducted two separate searches, narrowing the lists of finalists from each pool of applicants. Ultimately, the board and commission couldn’t agree on a candidate from the other candidate pools and Reinhard was selected.