Giovanne Merlo voted interim Niles auditor by the city’s Democratic precinct committee
By Jordan Cohen
NILES
Giovanne Merlo, voted interim Niles auditor by the city’s Democratic precinct committee Wednesday, said he is ready to do whatever is necessary to get the struggling city out of fiscal emergency.
“Count on me to help Niles get out of this right now,” Merlo, 37, vowed to the committee members, whose vote was unanimous.
Merlo, who had been second ward councilman, replaces long-time Auditor Charles Nader who retired earlier this month. He was unopposed for the interim term ending this year and faces no opposition when he runs for the four-year term in the November general election.
Merlo, whose background is in consumer and small-business banking, faces a number of challenges starting with the deficit that led to the fiscal emergency designation last October. Last week, state auditors advised the fiscal commission overseeing Niles’ finances that appropriations will exceed current revenues by $2.3 million. Making matters worse, the city will not have enough money to pay its fire department by Oct. 4 according to the treasurer’s office.
“The fire department [funding] will be the first thing on my desk in the morning,” Merlo said, but the newly appointed auditor said he is not intimidated by the seemingly endless flow of red ink. “I’m confident in my abilities and what I’ve been able to do in my career.”
Merlo agrees with the projection by Nader that the city will run out of money before the end of the year, but declined to say whether layoffs are inevitable as Nader had indicated.
“Our biggest task at hand is to see where the city is headed,” he said. “In the end, numbers are numbers.” The auditor said he expects to be able to provide more up to date information through a new software system that his predecessor had been implementing prior to his retirement.
Merlo’s resignation from his council seat was effective Wednesday. The precinct committee plans to meet again prior to the next council meeting Oct. 7 to select a replacement. Trumbull County Commissioner Dan Polivka, Democratic party chairman, said previously that the replacement under consideration is Steven Mientkiewicz who is running for the same council seat in November and has no opposition.