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WARREN -- City council members voted 6 to 4 Wednesday to allow the city law director to create a new position in the law department that does not have a job description, while eliminating an attorney in the department.
The new legislative aide / projects and contracts coordinator will earn approximately $52,000 per year, which is $13,000 less than it would cost to hire a lawyer, according to Law Director Enzo Cantalamessa.
Council members Ken MacPherson, D-5th Ward; Cheryl Saffold, D-6th Ward; Ronald White, D-7th Ward; and Helen Rucker, D-at Large, voted against creating the position. Councilmembers Larry Larson, D-1st Ward; Alford Novak, D-2nd Ward; Greg Greathouse, D-3rd Ward; Mark Forte, D-4th Ward; Gary Steinbeck, D-at Large; and John Brown, D-at Large, voted in favor of it.
Rucker argued allowing Cantalamessa to have what she defined as a political appointment would place him on the same level as the mayor, who has the ability to hire his safety service director and secretary.
"No other elected department head has this ability," Rucker said. "If we do this for this law director, then we will have to do it for the auditor and the treasurer."
Rucker further argued that Cantalamessa has not responded to requests to give council members a written job description for the legislative aide position.
Cantalamessa earlier had given an oral description of what he believes the work the person in the new position would do, but admitted he had not created a written job description because he was waiting for council to approve the position.
He noted the aide will, among other things, be updating and digitizing city records, taking inventory of city assets and helping create a criminal activity nuisance abatement program.
The law director said he has surveyed other communities in the Mahoning Valley and across Ohio to determine whether they had similar positions. He said some communities, such as Youngstown, have legislative aides, while others, such as Niles, do not.
Rucker expressed particular frustration because Cantalamessa has said, and continues to maintain, that he has not determined the person who will be hired for the position. However, Rucker said it is her understanding it has been specifically designed to be given to Mayor Doug Franklin's executive secretary.
She said the position should be open to people with a paralegal degree or even a recently graduated attorney.
"We've been told he could not find a lawyer or a paralegal to do the work at that pay, but how do we know," Rucker said.
Cantalamessa said the job will be advertised.
MacPherson argues the creation of the position smacks of political patronage.
"I just want to reiterate, I believe this is wrong, wrong, wrong," MacPherson said.
Steinbeck argued in favor of allowing Cantalamessa to create the new position, saying it is rare that a department head has voluntarily agreed to eliminate a higher pay position.
"You know the positions you need in your office," Steinbeck said. "You don't believe you need another lawyer."
Brown said the new legislative aide will be doing a myriad of jobs.
"I believe a year from now we will be amazed at the amount of work that will be done," Brown said.
Debate was cut off before Saffold could make an argument either for or against the position.
Council also passed the 2021 budget with little discussion. The $28.9 million general fund budget is about $600,000 more than last year's.