Mayor: ‘Back room deal’ led to DePasquale dismissal

By Jordan Cohen

news@vindy.com

NILES

James DePasquale, the safety-service director fired by Mayor Thomas Scarnecchia, was dismissed because he tried to cover up an unauthorized payment to a union employee – an action the mayor described as an “inappropriate, back-room deal.”

The language is contained in the termination letter to DePasquale the mayor provided at the request of The Vindicator. The letter is considered public information under state law.

The letter states DePasquale acted despite being told that money for the payment had not been approved. “Despite this, you proceeded to authorize the arrangement and obscure it,” the letter says.

“That cover up was the last straw for me,” Scarnecchia said. He fired DePasquale Tuesday.

In an interview, the mayor said DePasquale promised the extra money to Kevin Robertson, grants coordinator who also works for the city as a draftsman. Robertson subsequently filed a grievance when he never received the money.

The mayor said DePasquale still tried to funnel the money to the coordinator after the grievance was filed despite having no authority to do so.

“You compounded the problem by indicating payment should be made despite a complete lack of contract language to support such action,” Scarnecchia wrote.

The mayor acknowledged previous differences with his safety-service director who was earning $51,000 a year.

“These past 14 months, we have not worked closely together,” Scarnecchia said. “I needed somebody to stand with me, and I was not getting that.”

Several council members said they have received a number of calls from residents opposed to the dismissal, although none at the meeting would comment on their feelings about the firing. DePasquale has yet to respond to a previous request for comment.

The mayor said he does not have someone to replace DePasquale, but in a council roundtable session Wednesday, Scarnecchia said he plans to separate the safety and service director positions. The two had been combined under DePasquale at the mayor’s urging to save money.

“Combining the two didn’t work,” said Barry Steffey, D-4th, council finance chairman. Scarnecchia has asked for legislation at next week’s council meeting to fill the safety director position immediately. “I have a retired patrolman in mind,” the mayor said.

The director would be part time and paid $12,000 yearly, $5,000 less than earned by Paul Hogan, the previous safety director who resigned last year.

Ohio law requires a three-member board of control consisting of the mayor, safety director and service director, which is another reason for the mayor’s urgency. Having the new safety director serve on the board with the mayor would enable it to resume its financial responsibilities until the third member, the service director, eventually is hired.

“We don’t have a board of control, and our government has stopped,” the mayor said.