WARREN - Trumbull County Engineer Randy Smith wants his predecessor, David DeChristofaro, to repay the office the more than $100,000 it spent on three settled wrongful termination lawsuits filed against the ex-engineer.
The issue is one of two Smith raises to Prosecutor Dennis Watkins in a heavily redacted letter that says DeChristofaro's actions caused the county ''substantial negative financial impact.''
Smith said he is requesting the recovery action because ''I don't think tax dollars should be utilized to pay for his mistakes.''
Smith said he believes the firings were ''pre-conceived and strategized'' before DeChristofaro took office and fall outside the purview of his official duties.
Among what Smith wants back is $75,000 in deductible payments the office made, $20,000 used to settle one of the claims, and reimbursements for parking and mileage for DeChristofaro and a former top aide.
Smith would not provide a copy of an unredacted letter, nor did he want to talk about the parts of the letter that had been blacked out, except to say it pertains to another matter with DeChristofaro.
Watkins declined to comment. Messages seeking comment were left with DeChristofaro and Todd Raskin, the attorney who represented the county's insurance carrier in the lawsuits.
The last of the lawsuits filed by two former workers and another who has gotten her job back was settled last month. The workers claimed they were fired in retaliation for supporting Smith in his 2008 election bid against DeChristofaro.