WARREN – Trumbull County commissioners voted 2-0 this morning to remove County Highway Engineer Randy Smith from his dual role as Sanitary Engineer effective immediately.

Commissioners first appointed Smith to oversee the Sanitary Engineer’s department five years ago, agreeing to pay him $2,000 more per month to handle the responsibility. As elected highway engineer, Smith’s responsibilities cover only the highway department. Commissioners are in charge of the sanitary engineer’s office.

In recent months commissioners have been re-examining the setup, prompted largely by complaints from sanitary engineer’s office staff about the amount of time Smith spends on sanitary sewer issues, along with Smith’s management style and department morale.

Commissioners Frank Fuda and Mauro Cantalamessa voted yes on the move to separate the jobs this morning. Outgoing Commissioner Dan Polivka abstained from voting on the measure, saying he wants a full investigation before considering the measure.

It’s unclear who will take over management of the Sanitary Engineer’s Department. Smith remains as Trumbull County Engineer.

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