- The Senior Wellness Fair is scheduled for May 5th at the Community Center. Details TBA.
- Mayor Coleman appointed Chuck Brunello (former council-at-large candidate) to be head of the “Home Day” Committee.
Councilwoman Lisa Stickan referred to it as “Community Day” in her report to council, but Mayor Coleman (a traditionalist I guess) insisted on calling the event “Home Day”---a label that isn’t nearly as friendly or welcoming, although it certainly communicates the reduced stature of the event.
Councilwoman Cathy Murphy reported that P&R discussed their deficit-spending 2010 budget at their most recent meeting. (The $ 20,000 deficit figure might have to be increased. More on that below). Murphy also reported that Recreation Director Dave Ianiro is planning to attend the April 13th council meeting---as required by city law.
As requested, Murphy also passed along a message from P&R to council:
"P&R wants council to know that rehabbing the old pool house (cost $ 300,000+) remains their # 1 priority and that they believe that doing that should come before any expenditures on the (decrepit, mold-ridden and unsafe ) old church property."That’s P&R for you--- always thinking that their wants should take priority over other city needs--and ignoring the fact that the city may soon be handed a very large bill for fixing the pool leak--- a leak that P&R has failed to deal with for many years.
Guess what’s not in the budget? I’ll give you a hint. It's that nepotism issue again...
Several weeks ago Finance Director Tony Ianiro gave council members copies of what was purported to be the final version of the mayor’s 2010 city budget. I asked for, and received, a copy of that budget too.
Since then, the only adjustments that council was told had to be made were changes in the permanent improvement fund (the “404 fund”), to adjust for Service Director Thom Evans’ inadvertent omission of $ 35,000 in street striping costs.
The budget was all set to be passed at the March 23rd council meeting.
You can imagine my shock when, during the final budget discussion, it was revealed that Finance Director Tony Ianiro left one very significant and telling expense item out of the Park & Recreation budget.
What was the omitted item? Unemployment benefits that the city has been paying to his brother, Recreation Director David Ianiro, since January 2010.
Yep. You heard right. In addition to his $ 17,000 Rec Director salary, Dave Ianiro will also collect at least $ 3,200 in unemployment benefits from the city in 2010---courtesy of Highland Heights taxpayers, of course. And that’s just the initial figure--- Finance Director Tony Ianiro admits that he doesn’t know what the final cost of his brother’s unemployment benefits will be.
The background.
Dave Ianiro has been working continually for the city for several years. He was reappointed to his part-time Recreation Director job in January. During his tenure as Rec Director, Dave Ianiro has pursued other employment outside of the city.
State records show that he filed articles of incorporation for a carryout pizza business in 2006 (Calogero’s in Euclid). Dave Ianiro also reportedly runs a Wickliffe ice cream shop.
Apparently the pizza business failed last year, which caused Dave Ianiro to apply for unemployment benefits last fall.
I am not familiar with Ohio unemployment law, but Dave Ianiro was able to claim benefits from the city, even though his unemployment was completely unrelated to his city job, he still works part-time for the city and his city employment has not changed.
The Finance Director typically handles unemployment claims for the city. From what I can tell, Tony Ianiro never told council that his brother had applied for unemployment benefits, nor did he inform council when he received a letter from the state informing him that the city had to pay $ $3,203.72 in initial unemployment benefits to Dave Ianiro. Dave Ianiro started receiving unemployment benefits in January 2010.
Which bring us to----Tony Ianiro’s Glaring Omission From the Budget
Why didn’t Finance Director Tony Ianiro include his brother’s unemployment benefits in the budget? It could not have been mere oversight. After all, Dave Ianiro received his first unemployment check in January, a month before Tony Ianiro put the budget together. Also telling is that fact that Tony Ianiro answered “yes” during a February Legislative & Finance Committee budget meeting (which I attended), when he was asked whether the budget reflected all of the city’s known unemployment liabilities for 2010.
And while Tony Ianiro chose not to list any unemployment benefit expenses in the P&R portion of the budget, he listed unemployment benefit expenses for other city departments, including the building department ($3,000; 101-4410-52164), the service department ($10,000; 101-6610-52164) and the general administration department ($0; 101-7780-52164).
I guess the fact that his brother was collecting unemployment benefits from the city just slipped his mind.....right? Or was Tony Ianiro deliberately trying to keep the payments to his brother under wraps, by leaving them out of the budget?
When asked at the council meeting whether the P&R budget shouldn’t be amended to reflect the fact that the city is obligated to make unemployment payments to Dave Ianiro and a part-time summer rec department worker in 2010, Tony Ianiro said no. Those expenses didn’t have to be listed in the budget.
I guess if they aren’t listed, they don’t exist, right? Out of sight, out of mind?
Anti-nepotism policies are designed to avoid the conflicts of interest and divided loyalties that inevitably result when related individuals work together in the same small city. Tony Ianiro’s handling of Dave Ianiro’s unemployment benefits is a good illustration of why Highland Heights needs such a policy. Are you listening, Mayor Coleman?
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