Trumbull commissioners expect to name Mike Matas county administrator

Staff report

WARREN

Trumbull County commissioners have selected Lake County Budget Director Mike Matas to be Trumbull County administrator, a position that has been vacant since 2006.

Commissioners Dan Polivka and Mauro Cantalamessa chose Matas over the other finalist, Larry Collins of Saline, Mich., former assistant city administrator for the city of Ann Arbor, Mich.

Polivka said by text Friday that Richard Jackson, county human-resources director, is in negotiations with Matas, a Cortland resident, over salary.

Cantalamessa said he expects Matas’ hiring to be on the agenda for the commissioners meeting next week.

Cantalamessa said Matas was chosen “because of his experience in county government, his experience in formulating and working with budgets and his technical expertise when it comes to budgets.”

Cantalamessa said he contacted Matas’ references, and it showed that Matas has the ability to “work with various individuals, various departments.” “I called probably 90 percent of the people he put down, and there weren’t enough superlatives to describe Mike, from judges to the head of the civil division [of the prosecutor’s office]. The only bad thing they said is they wish he wouldn’t leave because they don’t want to lose him.”

Matas was chairman of the Trumbull County Citizens Budget Review Committee that recommended the hiring of a county administrator, which produced some discussion among the members of a volunteer committee that ultimately recommended Matas as a finalist.

The committee also recommended other changes to county government, some of which the commissioners already have started to implement.

Commissioner Frank Fuda said Friday he interviewed Matas and Collins and has nothing against Matas, “but I don’t think we need [a county administrator] right now. I don’t think we can afford one.”

Fuda said he did not participate in the discussions between Polivka and Cantalamessa regarding Matas’ selection.