By SHELLEY TERRY - Staff Writer - sterry@starbeacon.com
ASHTABULA — City Manager Anthony Cantagallo was conspicuously absent from City Council’s Finance and Ordinance meeting Tuesday morning.
Everyone in attendance wondered, “Where’s Tony?”
With a $862,000 budget deficit looming, City Auditor Michael Zullo warned the Finance and Ordinance Committee the city’s finances
continue to run in the red and additional staff reductions are imminent.
City Council Vice President Betty Kist tabled the city manager’s report on “Restructuring” — one of his ideas to help the city get back in the black.
“It was up to him to give the report,” Kist said. “He wasn’t there.”
Regardless of TV news reports to the contrary on Saturday, no layoffs occurred in the city Monday or Tuesday, yet city employees remain concerned. Three members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees’ Local 1197 attended the committee meeting, as did the fire chief, police chief and two police officers. All wanted to hear what the city manager had to say.
“I don’t know where he is,” Council President Charles Brockway said.
During a broadcast Saturday morning, Channel 3 TV reporter Jeff Maynor said Cantagallo told him as many as a dozen layoffs are possible this week. The city manager is not returning the Star Beacon’s phone calls about the issue.
Dom Iarocci, superintendent of public services, said, “There are no layoffs in my department as of 2 o’clock Tuesday afternoon.”
Zullo said the paperwork for any layoffs would come through his office, but he had not seen relevant paperwork.
The city made national news 10 days ago when Cantagallo said the city had no money to pay overtime to plow streets after a snowstorm and several days of lake-effect snow showers. Several residents complained about the situation, including Main Avenue businessman John Ginnard, who has called for the city manager’s resignation.
While most City Hall employees have taken a pay cut to help close the budget deficit, Cantagallo continues to make $75,369 a year and recently accepted a 3.5 percent pay raise. Cantagallo told the TV station he wants pay concessions from the city’s union employees.
Last week, Cantagallo also said he made a deal with City Council: If council members took a pay cut, he would, too. Council members have said they kept their part of the bargain — taking pay cuts themselves — and it’s time the city manager follows suit.
