VIENNA — Township officials on Monday fielded questions surrounding the new speed cameras and their hunt for a new fiscal officer.

Interim police Chief Brian Darbey told residents that while they haven’t yet received income from the cameras, police issued 923 speeding tickets last month. He said he hasn’t reached out to anyone at Blue Line Solutions about the status of the tickets, but he expects to receive a progress report Nov. 15.

Darbey doesn’t have an estimate of how many of the 923 tickets were residents or out-of-town drivers but added out of the tickets he’s filled out there’s not many locals.

Trustees later tabled action on deciding what percentage of speed camera funds would be allocated to the township’s general fund and the police department because they don’t yet know how much income has been generated.

FISCAL OFFICER

Trustee Phil Pegg told residents they haven’t received resumes for the fiscal officer position, which opened up after he announced Corrine Hardman’s resignation at a fiscal commission meeting Oct. 28.

Pegg said he hasn’t taken an in-depth look at what will happen if they can’t replace her, but expects it to be the same as replacing a trustee.

“If we don’t get any resumes, we can’t find anybody, then it goes to the probate court, which would be Judge (James) Fredericka,” Pegg said. “He’ll do the same thing that we’re doing; run the ads. If no one’s appointed, then it goes to the state, from what I can read.”

Pegg recalled the state of the township from the third week of February to April 1, when he was temporarily in control.

“When it first occurred, I started gathering all of the bills, gathering the payroll, gathering everything together,” Pegg said. “We only had $14,000 in the bank. We didn’t have enough to make payroll. At that point, that’s when the trustees decided we wouldn’t take our pay, so that was put aside.”

Pegg thanked Trumbull County Auditor Martha Yoder, who “bent over backwards” for the township.

“She didn’t have to do anything at all, but what she did do was follow the law, which she gave us money that had come in early as an advance,” Pegg said. “The way the law reads, she can only give us an advance of 80% of the money that had come in early as an advance.”

Pegg said that 80% was just enough for the township to make the next two payrolls and money then came in as it would for “any other township.”

Trustees said during that six-week period, former Fiscal Officer Linda McCullough signed any checks, as she was the only one who could do so legally.

Trustee Richard Dascenzo praised Rhonda Root for her two months of service and Hardman and Tom Shay, assistant to the fiscal officer, for their part in helping the township recover, calling them their “backbone” and noting how much they’ve stepped up.

“These guys know what they’re doing, I can’t thank them enough,” Dascenzo said. “You drive by any day of the week, they’re here. That’s what’s helping us now.”