DEAR EDITOR:
I am writing to make sure that Trumbull County residents are informed of the enormity of the services Sheriff Altiere and his staff have provided throughout the county. A research of all 88 Ohio counties by myself has shown Altiere's Inmate Service Program is one of the largest in the state.
The program has provided to county, cities, villages and townships; nearly $2 million in the community service at no charge. The services range from grass cutting, snow removal for senior / handicapped residents, removal of trash, tires, debris, park maintenance, removal of debris to stop flooding and many more. The services have been a god-send to many of our non-profit organizations that are struggling in a time of greatly reduced donations.
The local governments have welcomed the help at a time when our governor has reduced and hopes to eliminate totally local government state funding. The county has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants for crime information for Trumbull and two other counties to provide and work with the state B.C.I. Agency and Crime Prevention Programs. The sheriff has also worked towards a unified county 911 system/center and countywide frequencies between all police agencies. The sheriff lobbied to have the house arrest process amended to allow this process to be used in Trumbull County and was able to apply for and receive a grant to utilize house arrest and cut jail operation costs. I have much more service information that is available by just contacting myself or the sheriff's office.
I am also greatly disappointed in Sheriff Altieres' challenger for the sheriff's position, Mr. Phillips. What did Mr. Phillips work to provide for the Trumbull County taxpayers while in their employ? Major James Phillips filed an appeal to the state for back wages and a raise while other county employees took wage freezes to keep Trumbull County in the black. Phillips won his appeal and received $4,380 in back pay and a 13 percent raise in wages. This wage raise also would increase his pension when he retired.
In a county where many of our residents struggle to live at poverty level have suffered reduced or lost pensions and benefits, this is an insult to those people.
I am sure someone in the future will choose to pay me back one way or another politically, but as many people know I staunchly support wage freezes in bad economic times and speak up when necessary.
Alford L. Novak
2nd Ward Councilman
Warren