Niles mayor rescinds service director's extra day off for city workers

NILES

An angry Mayor Thomas Scarnecchia rescinded an order by his Service Director James DePasquale that would have given city employees an extra day off Easter weekend.

DePasquale’s decision led to an immediate outcry from city council and the public, which flooded council members with irate calls Friday.

“He took it upon himself and I’m mad,” Scarnecchia told The Vindicator in a call from his hospital bed. The mayor said he has been undergoing tests since Tuesday night. “I don’t know what got into him.”

Scarnecchia said the service director did not discuss his plans in advance. The mayor revealed he was unaware of the situation until informed of it by a reporter.

The furor began when DePasquale announced through an email he was adding next Thursday as an extra day off in addition to Good Friday when City Hall is closed.

Read more about the situation in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.