WARREN - Trumbull County's newest engineer, David DeChristofaro, on his first day of work Monday ordered the layoffs of five workers, most with personal ties to his predecessor, before embarking on the nation's capital to speak with federal leaders about county bridge and highway projects and to attend the swearing in of U.S. Rep. Timothy J. Ryan.
The cuts of three clerical workers and two engineer technicians were made from concern that gasoline and license plate tax revenue needed to operate the office would be lessening as the cost of maintaining county roads increases, said DeChristofaro's director of administration and governmental affairs, David Rouan.
The decision to eliminate staff, Rouan said, was to combat the increased cost of road salt and diesel fuel to continue providing snow and ice control on county roads this winter. Additionally, Rouan said, it was determined the office was overstaffed with clerical workers.
The cuts made Monday will be effective Jan. 19. The savings, Rouan said, is unknown at this time. Rouan refused to release the names of those laid off, blaming collective bargaining obligations.
However, former engineer John Latell said Monday evening the eliminated staff are his son-in-law, Matt Dohy, a surveyor/engineering technician; his daughter-in-law, Amanda Latell, a secretary; Lisa Blair, who performed dispatching and payroll functions and who is the wife of his son's law partner; Nicole Klingerman, a bookkeeper; and Wayne Hickman, an engineering technician. He said Hickman was a recent hire and was still on probationary status and not yet part of the union.
Continuing the contentious relationship between the outgoing and incoming administrations, Latell said he left the office with no financial problems that would have led to the cuts.
"I was told the reason they were getting cut was a funding issue, but I met with commissioners as recently as Friday, and I was told the engineer's office ended 2008 about $500,000 in the black. We had salt left over from a purchase made at last year's prices, so I don't buy that these employee cuts were a fiscal issue. They were personal,'' Latell said.
Earlier in the day, Rouan attributed the cuts to finances.
''The problem is on revenue, it's an unknown quantity, we can't quantify that,'' Rouan said. ''We know numbers will be down, clearly, and we're trying to make adjustments ahead of that.''
DeChristofaro was heading to Washington Monday and could not immediately be reached for comment.
DeChristofaro previously said in a letter to the Tribune Chronicle the reason for the trip is to begin building relationships that will ultimately benefit Trumbull County. He echoed that in a letter to workers at the office.
''One of my priorities is to establish good working relationships with our Congressman Tim Ryan, as well as our State Senator Capri Cafaro, and our other state legislators,'' DeChristofaro wrote. ''A related priority is to aggressively pursue federal and state funds for our highways and bridges.''
In Washington, DeChristofaro said he would be meeting with the Federal Highway Administration to talk funding opportunities on county road and bridge projects.
Also Monday, DeChristofaro named the members of his management team - John Picuri, former bridge engineer for the office, has been selected as deputy engineer; Rouan, who will handle personnel and fiscal responsibilities of the office and work with township trustees on township projects; and Enzo Cantalamessa, will serve as attorney and counselor for the office.