Niles mayor ordered to produce new plan by July 25 to avoid sanctions

NILES

The Scarnecchia administration must produce a viable amended financial recovery plan by July 25 or face state-mandated sanctions that include a mandatory 15 percent cut in its budget – a slash that could mean reduced services and layoffs.

The order came in a unanimous vote Wednesday by the Financial Planning and Supervision Commission. The commission has been overseeing city expenditures since Niles was declared in fiscal emergency by state Auditor Dave Yost in October 2014.

Niles “has not progressed enough,” said Quentin Potter, commission chairman. “We need to address a plan that brings the city up to date.”

The commission had rejected the previous modified plan when it last met in April because the document did not contain provisions to cover the costs for needed building improvements. A few weeks after that meeting, Architect Bruce Sekanick determined several of those buildings to be in “critical” need of repairs.

“Sekanick said the Water Department building is unsafe,” said Barry Steffey, D-4th, finance chairman, who sat in for council President Robert Marino at Wednesday’s meeting. “The Water Department should not have workers in that building.”

In the 46 days since Sekanick submitted his report, Mayor Thomas Scarnecchia, who also sits on the commission, has been unable to complete an amended five-year plan required by state law.

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