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Warren man’s claim stirs up storm

WARREN — A Warren man claims he was targeted by the city for his outspoken criticism of a 0.5 percent income tax increase and city hall’s decision to partially subsidize the Community Development Department with money from water, waste water, storm water and sanitation funds.

James Walker said it was his public disapproval that led him to receive an unexpected storm water utility bill and shut-off notice for property at 1864 Victoria Lane SW on Jan. 5, less than a week after he posted on Facebook an email he sent to the Ohio Auditor’s Office asking it to review the decision to subsidize Community Development.

City officials, including Mayor Doug Franklin, deny any sort of revenge, and said Walker was treated like any other utility customer.

The problem regarding the bill has been ongoing since his wife, Robin L. Witherspoon, who formerly owned the Victoria Lane SW home, turned it over to Capital One Bank in 2005, Walker said. Although the bank took possession of the property, Witherspoon remained listed as owner on all county documents, so she was billed for property taxes and held responsible for storm water runoff from the property, Walker said.

The bank never sold the property, and in May 2015, the home was turned over to the Trumbull County Land Reutilization Corp., Walker said. Taxes on the property were forgiven.

Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership became official owner in May, said Matt Martin, the organization’s director.

Walker said when he received the shut-off notice on Dec. 29, it was five days before the bill was due and 35 days before it would have been considered late.

He contends it is the result of him posting online a copy of the July 25, 2016, inquiry he sent to the state questioning whether Community Development could legally bill its enterprise departments for services provided to them.

“We believe this is retaliation for my continuous online criticism of the mayor, the way the city is being run and the deplorable state of the Trumbull County Democratic Party,” wrote Walker, a former Ohio Democratic Party organizer who said he is going to run as a Republican for city council, in an email.

City officials disagree.

“I am not aware of who Mr. Walker is,” said Franco Lucarelli, Warren’s utilities director. “Regardless, this department deals with addresses and account numbers. We would not be involved in any form of retaliation. Mr. Walker is being treated as any other customer of this department.”

Lucarelli said city files show Witherspoon had not paid an $11.76 quarterly storm water bill for the home from 2006 through November 2013 that totaled $285.

The billing for the Victoria Lane SW property was transferred to Walker’s home at 1689 Norwood St NW. The bill was paid in 2013, however, there was still a $181 fee due for storm water runoff collection, Lucarelli said.

Mayor Doug Franklin said no one in his administration would use their position to retaliate against a private citizen.

“I would not stand for it,” Franklin said.

“He (Walker) is welcome to call to address the problem,” Franklin said. “It would not be the first time.”

Walker said he intends to pay the the storm water bill, but at his own pace, not on the schedule demanded by the city.

“It is not so much the storm water bill, but every time I have a problem with someone with the city, there is some sort of push back,” Walker said.

rsmith@tribtoday.com

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