Fri Mar 12 2010
by Miles Jung-Kilbreath
Reporter
Streetsboro -- It was a busy first full year in office for Mayor Tom Wagner, with lots of changes and shuffling among department directors."
Planning Director Linda Kovacs and Service Director Anthony Fiorilli III, were both fired at the end of 2007, and the new mayor declined to renew former Law Director Chad Murdock's contract.
Current Service Director Bill Miller was appointed by the end of 2007, but hiring and keeping a planning director and law director proved more challenging.
Wagner hired attorney David Benjamin as a part-time law director late in 2007 and attorney Deborah Carothers in early January as a part-time assistant law director.
But the partnership didn't last. Carothers was fired by Benjamin in July, and Benjamin resigned in October.
Wagner soon hired a partner of the Bedford law firm Melling, Harding and Montello, Blair Melling as law director Nov. 24 with fellow firm partner John Montello as assistant law director.
The planning department became a challenge for Wagner, who said qualifications for the position passed in a charter amendment passed by voters in November 2007 made it difficult to find a qualified candidate.
After Patrick Christie-Mizell was removed in May after only a week on the job due to family issues, Wagner hired in July Jeff Pritchard, former Norton planning director Jeff Pritchard.
Assistant Finance Director Ted Gordon was also promoted to finance director after Wagner fired former director Tanya Boyer in June. Wagner said Boyer's health issues had kept her out of the office since December 2007 and she had used all her medical leave and vacation time.
The final two hirings of department heads came from splitting the responsibilities of parks and recreation and senior services director Elaine Van Hoose, who resigned to become the parks director for Ravenna. Garfield Assistant Parks Director Greg Mytinger was tapped to head the parks, and recreation department and Katie Mathies was brought on as the senior services director.
E-mail:
mjung-kilbreath@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-686-3942
Comments
By Posting to this site, you agree to our Terms of Service Be polite.
Inappropriate posts may be removed.
Thegatewaynews.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post.
Login above or Register to comment.
0 Total Comments Home | Back
Copyright Record Publishing Co, LLC. 1995-2010. All Rights Reserved.
Content may not be republished without the expressed written consent of the publisher.
Content may not be republished without the expressed written consent of the publisher.
Dix Communications