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RITA, pool draw crowd in Niles

NILES — Residents concerned with the elimination of the city’s income tax department and the chance it could lose out on a grant it won to repair its pool crowded Niles City Council chambers Wednesday, where two members slowed the move to the Regional Income Tax Agency.

Several members of a community-organized parks and recreation committee said they will provide the administration and Nile Parks Board with estimated operating expenses and solutions to funding the operation of the pool so the city can use a nearly $70,000 grant to make repairs to the building.

The grant expires in 2018. Al Cantola said he doesn’t want to see the grant wasted and the city can use what it has now and then apply for more grants in the near future until the pool is suitable for public use.

Council members Frank Pezzano, D-1st Ward, and Linda Marchese, D-3rd Ward, voted against passing the ordinance giving Mayor Tom Scarnecchia authority to enter into an agreement with RITA.

And because both voted against passing the measure in a one-meeting emergency, the issue will have to receive two more readings before it can be adopted.

Bob Ward, president of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 506, vowed to fight the move to the agency and called it a violation of the union’s collective bargaining agreement with the city.

The grievance isn’t expected to carry any legal hurdles, said Service Director Edward Stredney.

Scarnecchia excused himself and nearly left the meeting early when Treasurer Janet Rizer-Jones spoke out against the move.

Rizer-Jones said the switch won’t save as much as Stredney and Scarnecchia think — they predict $42,000 a year — and said the city will end up paying more for income tax collection in the long run.

She said the mayor never invited her to a meeting he and Stredney had with RITA representatives or kept her in the loop about the decision.

“I’m sorry if you weren’t invited…” Scarnecchia said before seeming to excuse himself from the meeting in frustration, but then changing his mind.

Moving to RITA was not included in an April fiscal plan Scarnecchia presented, which council approved but the Niles Financial Supervision and Planning Commission rejected.

Lincoln Avenue resident Warren Peterson had more dire warnings about the switch.

If you make a mistake with your taxes, the agency will “cut your throat,” Peterson said after telling council members about experiences with the agency when he made a mistake years ago.

“RITA just doesn’t care,” Peterson said.

George Kuriatnyk asked members of council how they could vote to move to RITA without getting the chance to ask their representatives questions. There wasn’t a response.

Stredney admitted someone lower on the union totem pole could lose their job when two members of the tax department bump into other positions. Scarnecchia contends no one will lose their jobs.

Scarnecchia said the move is in his fiscal recovery plan and has to remain or the plan he is presenting July 27 to the Niles Financial Supervision and Planning Commission won’t be accepted. If the commission isn’t happy with the plan, it could order mandatory budget sanctions.

Other residents weren’t happy about two new $5 license plate fees the administration is asking council to approve. The ordinances received a first reading Wednesday, with “no” votes from Pezzano and Marchese.

rfox@tribtoday.com

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