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NILES -- The city's previous administration made special salary and benefit deals with some of the people that were rehired after retiring and now the city is instituting a policy to make sure it doesn't happen again, the president of council said.
In a series of special council meetings this week, members are rectifying the "illegal" contracts by passing an ordinance that repeals the contracts, Council President Robert Marino said.
"This removes the inconsistent manner in which we handle retirees that come back, treats everyone the same, and makes the city compliant with the law," Marino said. "The previous mayor had little agreements with certain people for salaries and benefits. That is illegal, only council has the right to set pay."
However, Mayor Tom Scarnecchia said he will not entertain the idea of hiring anybody that retires from the city while he is in charge.
"I feel we should leave the door open for young people to find jobs in the city. Don't get me wrong, we have wonderful people here already, but it is important to let younger people get a shot," Scarnecchia said.
Scarnecchia said the new rules could save the city an estimated $150,000 this year.
All retired employees who were rehired will be paid according to the council approved authorized strength ordinance, not the salary they negotiated with former Mayor Ralph Infante, and start paying for 100 percent of their health care if they choose to use it, according to the legislation.
Infante is facing more than 50 charges in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court. The indictment filed last year alleges political corruption, theft in office, illegal gambling and other charges against the 24-year mayor who voters replaced with Scarnecchia in 2016. A bill of particulars filed by prosecutors in December states Infante hired back his brother Joe Infante after he retired from the city at an inappropriate rate of pay.
"(Ralph Infante) sought to provide his brother with a rate of pay he was not entitled to receive. Ralph Infante was advised by John Doe 10, another elected city official, not to compensate his brother in the manner Ralph Infante sought to. Ralph Infante ignored the advice," the bill states.
The legislation also requires council notification 60 days before a retired person is rehired, a public hearing on the matter before the person starts working after retirement and sets sick and vacation time for the person. The person's start date will begin Jan. 1 of the year they are hired back and they will be eligible for one week off after the first year, two weeks off after the second year and three weeks after five years.
The policy applies to anyone retired or retiring from any Public Employee Retirement System, not just from the city, the policy states.
Several members of council weren't sure how many retired people are employed by the city. The ordinance is expected to receive a final reading today.
On Jan. 23, council adopted a formal policy regulating the the rate of overtime pay for non-union employees. Time-and-a-half was already in place for the non-union, non-department head supervisors but had to be formalized, Scarnecchia said.