JEFFERSON — Ashtabula County commissioners on Thursday gave Coroner Dr. Robert Malinowski an additional $1,658.94, the money he needs to keep his office open through the end of the year.
The coroner and commissioners have been at a stalemate over the budget since early November, when it became evident his salary line item would run out of money after the Nov. 27 payroll was issued. Commissioners wanted a plan from the coroner, and he responded by requesting an extra appropriation.
To make the deal work, the county will delay its final $15,000 payment to Cuyahoga County for 2009 autopsies, until 2010. In addition, funds will be moved from the coroner’s contract services, dues and other line items with cash remaining in order to close the salaries gap.
“I’m very thankful for that,” Malinowski said when told of the additional appropriation. “I’m very thankful they did it. There is a God in heaven, and he does watch over people.”
Commissioners scolded Malinowski for not staying in his budget, which was cut several times during the year as county revenues fell.
“I think Dr. Malinowski should have been more responsible and stayed within his budget,” said Board President Peggy Carlo in a prepared statement. “The board has decided that we need to move forward, finish up this year and work on 2010. We all have to continue to work together and stay within our budgets.”
“This is the most recent event in an ongoing issue between the Board of Commissioners and the coroner,” said Commissioner Joseph Moroski. “All other county elected officials have managed to keep their offices running through the end of the year during this very challenging budget. Now, because we had to postpone the final autopsy payment, the coroner will start 2010 in the hole by $15,000. The board will not pick up the check on this.”
Malinowski said he’s ready for that battle.
“They say all kinds of stuff like that. If they want to put me in a hole $15,000, they control the funds. I’m not going to let them ruin the way I do my job or ruin the coroner’s office because they got their ideas how the office should be run,” he said.
Throughout this battle, Malinowski has charged that commissioners are trying to force him to reduce his staff of two investigators and are playing politics with his office. Carlo on Thursday reiterated that this is not a political issue and that all county officials have had to learn to live within their reduced budgets. Malinowski did not implement furloughs in his office because he said his investigators are on the job 24/ 7.
“This year has been tough on everybody,” said Commissioner Daniel Claypool. “Elected officials have been forced to lay off employees, curtail business hours, institute furlough days and take personal pay cuts. And 2010 doesn’t look any better. The Board of County Commissioners applauds most of the county officials for their diligence and cooperation to provide the citizens of our county with the best possible service they could, with the available resources. We can only hope that the coroner will start early to figure out how he is going to operate within the budget allotted to him.”
Malinowski said he is working on the 2010 budget but will not allow commissioners to harm his office’s reputation.
“If they think I was being difficult this year, they have to wait and see what will happen next year,” he said.
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