Administrator, transit jobs shouldn't be combined after all, Polivka says

WARREN — Trumbull County Commissioner Dan Polivka said he now realizes that Trumbull County Transit administrator is a full-time job and shouldn’t be combined with county administrator’s duties.

Polivka, speaking at Wednesday’s commissioners meeting and afterward, said the transit job entails too many reports and deadlines to be a part-time position.

Polivka and Commissioner Mauro Cantalamessa last April decided to hire atty. Rebecca Gerson as county administrator as well as Trumbull Transit administrator. They said combining the jobs would save money.

At the time, they said it was a way to fufill their decision to add a county administrator to the commissioners' office, which was recommended by a citizens committee, while also filling the vacant transit administrator job. Cantalamessa also noted that Gerson had experience in handling employee grievances and might also save the county money in that area.

“I pride myself on my ability to multitask and to prioritize,” Gerson said the morning she was hired, addressing questions she received from Commissioner Frank Fuda, who voted against hiring her. Fuda said he didn’t think there was a need for a county administrator and doubted Gerson could handle what are essentially two full-time jobs.

Gerson resigned last week.