DEAR EDITOR:

I, Frank Fuda, was a 16-year full-time Trumbull County commissioner. I came into the office every day to do the job for the residents of Trumbull County.

Where was Dan Polivka?

I answered hundreds of constituents’ phone calls and solved problem after problem.

Where was Dan Polivka?

The commissioner job now pays over $100,000 per year, plus benefits for full-time commissioner, not a part-time commissioner, who lacked the effort to show up to do the work required in the job. Just ask the employees in the office. These same employees, the women working in the office, had to take documents to Polivka’s house to sign so the work could be processed timely.

Where was Dan Polivka?

I was proud to serve over 500 county employees and expend great time and effort to personally oversee various agencies: JFS, child support, the sanitary water and sewer departments, the board of elections, the building and maintenance department, the planning commission and others. I also was proud to work with the late former Commissioner Paul Heltzel. He was a true leader. Paul and I worked so well together, unlike Dan Polivka who created division and chaos in the county and more precisely, in the commissioners office.

As a full-time commissioner, I met with federal, state and local officials to secure $90 million for sanitary sewer projects. Polivka only showed up to take credit at the ribbon cuttings. Where was he when all the difficult technical issues were being solved? Dan was a true politician and not a public servant.

It is important to note that the Trumbull County Veterans Services has a beautiful new building on East Market Street, in downtown Warren. The late former commissioner, Paul Heltzel, former Auditor Adrian Biviano and I worked together to make it happen while Polivka wanted to locate the Veterans office in an old Republic Steel building on Pine Street. The veterans deserved a new facility, and it was financially feasible to make that happen.

Furthermore, without proper consideration, Polivka led the charge to combine the county highway engineers department with the sanitary engineer’s department, giving the county engineer more responsibility than he could fully handle and in addition, strongly supported giving him a large raise. This move was unnecessary because Trumbull County already had a highly qualified sanitary engineer, Gary Newbrough, and a grants coordinator, Julie Green, who worked together to secure funding for many sanitary sewer projects.

I am writing this letter because I care so much for Trumbull County residents and the operations of our county. I do not want to see a repeat of the division and chaos that engulfed Dan Polivka’s time as a commissioner. I also want to see the next commissioner be a fulltime hard working commissioner and not a part-timer like Dan Polivka. I am endorsing Rick Hernandez!

FRANK FUDA

Niles