New Findlay Mayor cuts two city jobs

By Joy Brown ? Findlay Courier Staff Writer

FINDLAY, OH (THE COURIER) - Findlay's engineer and an administrative assistant are the first staffing casualties of the new mayoral administration.

To save the city money, Engineer Jim Bischoff, who was hired in June, and clerk Stephanie Whitted were told Friday they are being dismissed, Mayor Lydia Mihalik said. Bischoff's last day was Friday while Whitted's last day will be Jan. 13.

According to numbers Mihalik provided Tuesday, the two job cuts, coupled with other administrative changes, will result in at least a $71,520 savings for 2012. More savings may be realized with future adjustments in health care costs, she said.

Other administrative changes include:

? Combining the city's safety and service director positions, with Paul Schmelzer now serving in that capacity;

? Replacing Bischoff with Assistant Engineer Meghan Clement, with Schmelzer providing support;

? Hiring former Safety Director Jim Barker as human resources director, a new position;

? Hiring Jeremy Horne as communications director, also a new position.

City Council approved an ordinance setting employee pay ranges at its first meeting of the year Tuesday. Including benefits, Schmelzer will be making at least $159,001, Barker $81,580 and Horne about $50,000. Clement will be paid an additional $3,261.

Base salaries for Schmelzer, Barker and Horne will be approximately $120,000, $59,000 and $35,000, respectively.

"We're doing more with less," Mihalik said.

Schmelzer's expertise as a professional engineer and surveyor allowed the elimination of the city engineer post, Mihalik said. Schmelzer's base salary will be roughly $40,000 less than the combined 2011 base pay of Barker as safety director and former Service Director Bruce Hardy, who each earned about $80,000, she said.

Whitted's departure and Horne's hiring will be "basically a wash" salary-wise, the mayor said.

Mihalik said other staffing changes could be forthcoming after she and her staff evaluate each city department.

Prior to being sworn in last week, Mihalik said, she and her transition team gathered "a ton of information" from department heads such as operational plans, committees that managers now serve on, and specifics of vendor contracts.

The administration is examining budgets and how each department works.

"Can things be done more efficiently, and if they can, then it's up to us to have the courage to pull the trigger," Mihalik said.

On Tuesday, Mihalik faced no opposition from City Council to her staff adjustments.

"I think the steps the administration has already taken are going to be a tremendous boost to the city," said 3rd Ward Councilman K.C. Collette.

Separately, council members passed a temporary general fund budget, based on requests from department heads, that allows for minimum-level operations. By state law, council has until March 31 to approve a permanent 2012 budget.

For more from the Findlay Courier, visit http://www.thecourier.com/index.asp.

Source: http://findlay.wtol.com/news/news/75653-new-findlay-mayor-cuts-two-city-jobs

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