Fort Shawnee finance director quits after 6 months

FORT SHAWNEE — Village Council's new director of finance resigned Monday evening, less than 6 months after being appointed.Charesa Smith, the former Lafayette clerk and Allen County Common Pleas Court bookkeeper, said a promised pay raise in January did not materialize.“I would not have taken the position in 2011 had I not truly believed the person directly responsible for hiring me on behalf of council assured me that I would receive the compensation I requested upon the new year and new administration,” Smith said, reading from a three-page letter at the end of Monday's regular Village Council meeting. “I would have never accepted such position at a wage less than I desired and knew would not compensate my family income comfortably and effectively.”Smith said she respects “the many great sacrifices that many are taking to bring this village into full recovery,” but her family can't afford to risk its financial security.Smith also alleged improprieties involving Mayor Pete Mariotti, saying he intentionally misstated one of three bids submitted for the village's trash-hauling contract when they were opened March 28. She said she also heard the mayor discussing a new credit/debit card processor for the mayor's court as a way to beef up revenue from traffic tickets.Village Council President Doug Harris resisted Smith's request to be heard, asking instead for a motion and second to adjourn the meeting. But without a second, Smith began reading her three-page letter without interruption.Afterward, Harris confirmed Mariotti misread a rate quoted by one of the three haulers, Waste Management, but the misquote was an honest mistake and ultimately of no consequence. Mariotti echoed Harris, saying he had no motivation to favor one trash hauler over another.Councilors defended the startup of a credit card machine, which can be used by police officers to collect fines as they ticket speeders. Violators from outside the area frequently leave the tickets unpaid, leaving the village with few options to effectively collect.Village Council's utilities committee will meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday to review the bids and make a recommendation.Mariotti said Smith's statement took him by surprise.Smith's resignation is effective May 18. She offered to stay and help train her successor.Also Monday, Village Council voted unanimously not to join the Lima Allen County Regional Planning Commission for the remainder of 2012. The membership fee would have been $1,700.