Probate Judge Rusu meets Mill Creek Park challenge

Cooler heads are needed in the emotionally charged public battle over the management of Mill Creek MetroParks.

A rush to judgment by the board of commissioners on Executive Director Aaron Young’s future would appease his detractors but would do little to address the underlying problems confronting the park system.

It was this reality that led Mahoning County Probate Judge Robert N. Rusu Jr. to one of the most important decisions of his tenure: the appointments of Dr. Thomas Shipka of Austintown and Lee Frey of Canfield as commissioners.

On May 1, we published an editorial with the following headline: “Mill Creek Park is test for probate Judge Rusu.”

In light of his selection of Shipka and Frey, we say without hesitation that Rusu passed with flying colors.

Indeed, the two newest additions to the board have wasted little time in reassuring Mahoning County residents that their concerns about staff restructuring and Young’s management decisions will be taken seriously.

But Shipka and Frey also made it clear that they will not succumb to public pressure to get rid of Young.

It is noteworthy that the executive director’s five-year contract expires on Dec. 31, 2019. He is paid $92,500 a year.

Firing him would be an expensive proposition. Given the district’s uncertain financial future – the termination of 13 park employees was designed to save money – any decisions about buying out Young’s contract must be made with cold, hard facts about his performance.

Young’s future with the district was again raised during Monday’s meeting of the commission. After the session, Frey, former mayor of Canfield, told The Vindicator that it is too early for him to take a position on Young’s future.

Shipka, retired chairman of Youngs-town State University’s Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, addressed the issue with a statement that reveals a necessary level of introspection.

Shipka, reacting to calls for the executive director’s departure, said he would investigate the elimination of the 13 positions, but he also added, “That does not mean the people who made a mistake are evil. It does not mean they will make such mistakes again. … I would hope that down the trail as there is a change up here, there will be change down there too, and we can work together for the future of the MetroParks.”

SHARED DISAPPROVAL

Both new commissioners share our disapproval over the way the employee terminations were handled. The lack of transparency and the absence of public discussion as the decisions were made have contributed to the public’s distrust of the park district under Young.

Fortunately, Judge Rusu, who has been forced to spend an inordinate amount of time meeting his statutory responsibilities with regard to the metropolitan park district, has concluded that a permanent citizens advisory committee would greatly enhance the work of the commissioners.

The probate judge’s conclusion is based on the success of the 10-member screening committee he established to assist him in his search for the two board members to fill the vacancies created by the resignations of Scott Schulick and Michael Senchak.

The committee went through all the applications and submitted a list of five finalists to Judge Rusu. His appointment of Shipka and Frey lends credence to his belief that citizen participation is crucial to the well-being of the Mill Creek MetroParks District.

The permanent advisory committee would convey to the board what the community is thinking and prepare a list of priorities.

The two new commissioners, who have made it clear that transparency in the operation of the park district ranks high on their agendas, support the formation of an advisory committee.

“Observing from the outside, I think we have lost a lot of public support recently, and I think we need to restore that,” Shipka said.

There are two issues that could affect the future of the district:

A lawsuit filed by three residents claiming that the state’s Sunshine Law was violated when the board and the executive director terminated the 13 positions.

A push by some critics of Executive Director Young to repeal the tax levy that was approved last year.

Whether the new commissioners and Judge Rusu’s commitment to openness and public accessibility to the decision-making are enough to appease the critics remains to be seen.