YOUNGSTOWN — Mahoning County Auditor Ralph Meacham fired the county director of information technology Wednesday.

Jacob Williams, who earned $104,429 annually, worked for the county since Dec. 15, 2004. He worked under Meacham, but the information technology department provides information services to departments all across county government.

Williams and Meacham presented information to the county commissioners in September about the county’s investment in the MYORIS project to speed up the county’s internet access and computer system connectivity across the county’s 70 buildings.

The county commissioners approved $2.1 million of American Rescue Plan funds to be used on the project. Williams said the project will result in the county having six strands of fiber optic cable that it can operate on its own, eliminating the fees paid to AT&T and saving money in the long run. MYORIS stands for the Mahoning-Youngstown Ohio Regional Information System.

Meacham said Thursday that Williams’ termination was not related to the MYORIS project. Meacham said the termination was because of a “difference of management philosophy and departmental direction.”

Williams was information technology director when Meacham became county auditor in March 2015, having also worked under former county auditor Mike Sciortino.

Meacham posted the job opening Thursday.