Trumbull sheriff asked commissioners to expedite budget process for layoff procedures

WARREN — If the news media had been invited to two days’ worth of Trumbull County budget hearings, they might have heard Sheriff Thomas Altiere ask the commissioners last week to speed up the budget process – so that potential layoffs could occur sooner than later.

The Vindicator learned today the hearings – that happened without media notification – were recorded. A reporter listened to the hearing involving the sheriff’s office and asked that the recordings be provided to the public on the commissioners’ website. Officials were attempting to load them this afternoon.

On the recording, Auditor Adrian Biviano could be heard telling Altiere the commissioners “can’t fund” Altiere’s budget request, which was for $3.9 million more than Altiere was budgeted in 2016. He was budgeted $10.4 million in 2016 and is asking for $14.3 million in 2017.

After Altiere heard this, he asked that Biviano and the commissioners provide him with his budget in January instead of late February.

He wanted this to allow the incoming sheriff, Paul Monroe, to make layoffs earlier in the year if necessary, Altiere said.

“We have to pay unemployment costs for it, and that means more people need to be laid off the longer we wait,” Altiere said.

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