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Grudges and grievances dominate Struthers City Council meeting
STRUTHERS
Tempers and vendettas were on full display Wednesday night during city council’s meeting.
During what would otherwise have been an unremarkable meeting, tensions that had been heating up between various individuals and factions within the city’s leadership reached a boiling point.
Former councilman Robert Carcelli, brother of current Councilman Ronald Carcelli, D-2nd, expressed frustration at a council meeting earlier this month over issues he has with the administration, and accused Mayor Terry Stocker of taking two months to return a phone call. He also claimed Safety Service Director Ed Wildes was collecting a public pension while earning a salary from his city position and that Stocker was trying to sweep Wildes’ recent altercation with Judge Dominic Leone under the rug.
Robert Carcelli and Stocker formerly served together as councilmen and were at one time friends.
Stocker, who was not at that meeting, took the opportunity Wednesday night to address the comments made by Robert Carcelli.
Stocker said he keeps an open-door policy and that he did return Carcelli’s call and invited him to meet with him any time. He went on to call the comments made by Carcelli regarding Wildes’ pension “inappropriate” and advised council to take action to shut down future discussion of those issues. The mayor also said he gave counsel to Wildes after he was held in contempt of court by Judge Leone for the incident earlier in the month.
Later, Councilman Mike Patrick, D-at large, asked if the mayor had a counseling degree that provided him with the expertise to handle Patrick, which prompted Councilman Dallas Bigley, D-at large and mayoral hopeful, to fire back at Patrick that Patrick had been the subject of harassment allegations last spring after verbally assaulting the clerk of council. Councilman Joe Rudzik, D-at large, called for everyone to stop fighting and settle their private grievances in private.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, a resident praised the good aspects of the city, but lamented that there was often back-biting and score-settling that happened publicly among council members, and admonished them to settle their disputes privately and civilly.
Then Robert Carcelli addressed council, and again aired his grievances with the mayor and the safety service director. When he once again brought Wildes’ pension up, Councilman Ronald Carcelli made a motion to adjourn the meeting midway through his brother’s comments, resulting in members of the audience yelling “that’s bull----” and an out-of-order argument between several people during the discussion. His motion did not receive a second.
Robert Carcelli was allowed to finish his comment period, and the mayor offered to meet him at any time. Carcelli said he would like to have the meeting with Law Director John Zomoida and a Vindicator reporter present.
After Robert Carcelli sat down, Wildes took the podium, claiming that the accusations against him were false, that the status of his pension was not Carcelli’s business and that he and Judge Leone were going to have a meeting to repair their working relationship after their conflict.
After Wildes’ comments, President of Council Henry Franceschelli said he was ending the meeting, and began an impassioned plea to everyone in attendance about the grudges and toxicity in the city government.
“We’re supposed to be here for the people of Struthers. And I ain’t seen nothing being done here but arguing and fighting. I’ve got to have police officers come down to this meeting. For what? You’re Struthers people ... act like it. Treat people with respect,” he said. “I’m never, ever running for politics again ... it ruins your life, and it ruins your friends. Mr. Carcelli and Mr. Stocker will tell you that.”