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Warren mayor offended by legislation that sets pay-rate criteria for top job
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
Mayor Doug Franklin went to a Warren City Council committee meeting Wednesday happy to debate Councilman Ken MacPherson on MacPherson’s proposed legislation to set qualification criteria for the pay of the city’s current and future safety-service directors.
Problem was, MacPherson did not attend the meeting called to talk about it.
The legislation proposes that three pay tiers be established for the position, and the tier chosen would be based on “skills, experience, education and acumen.”
Someone with the lowest level of qualifications would be paid $40,000. At the second tier, he or she would earn $65,000. At the third tier, the pay would be $85,000.
The legislation says council has authority to set pay based on qualifications such as having a bachelor’s degree in public administration and experience of five years in managing a city to reach the second tier or 10 years to reach the third tier.
The current safety-service director, Enzo Cantalamessa, earns $82,825, but won in the Democratic primary for Warren law director and has no Republican opponent in November.
Franklin told committee members MacPherson’s legislation is a “personal insult as mayor” because MacPherson never discussed it with him and because “the most important decision a mayor will make is his safety-service director.”
It’s one of only two positions the mayor appoints, the other being his executive secretary, Franklin said. In contrast, the mayor of Youngstown, a charter city, appoints the police and fire chiefs and many others.
Councilman Eddie Colbert said he believes there is “no way” the legislation will pass. Councilwoman Helen Rucker questioned whether MacPherson’s motive was “personal issues, politics or whatever.”
When reached by phone later, MacPherson said the legislation is intended to establish standards that candidates for the position should meet or else they should be paid less.
He said the goal is to encourage the hiring of a safety-service director “who has experience in running a city” instead of someone who will need “on-the-job training.”