Trumbull County administrator not expected to return

WARREN

Richard Jackson, human resources director for the Trumbull County commissioners, will apparently assume his additional duties as county administrator and purchasing director a couple weeks earlier than expected.

At Tuesday’s commissioners workshop meeting, Jackson told the commissioners he did not expect Rebecca Gerson, county administrator, purchasing director and Trumbull Transit administrator, to return to the job.

Gerson told the commissioners last week she was returning to her law practice and would be leaving her county position Sept. 6 after five months on the job. Jackson agreed at the time to handle some of Gerson’s duties.

Commissioner Frank Fuda said Tuesday after learning Gerson might not return, “We need her to be here,” then spoke of deadlines coming up in a few days for a half-million-dollar grant application related to Trumbull Transit, the county’s public transportation system.

Gerson worked on the application, but it’s not finished, Commissioner Mauro Cantalamessa said.

Fuda later clarified that he doesn’t expect to lose that money, but missing a deadline like that could still hurt Trumbull Transit. Mark Hess, the previous transit administrator, has agreed to help out with Trumbull Transit until another transit administrator is found.

Transit officials will be trying to expedite the hiring of a replacement transit administrator, Cantalamessa said.

Documents obtained by The Vindicator Tuesday through a public records request show that Gerson was off sick 11 1/2 days since she started the job in April, including five days the last two weeks. Fuda said he thinks she also used several personal days.