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Trumbull County commissioners reject fact-finder report in Job & Family Services bargaining
Summary
After an executive session on collective-bargaining strategy, the Trumbull County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to reject a fact-finding report issued April 2, 2025, prompting questions from public commenters and JFS representatives.
The Trumbull County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on April 9 to reject the fact-finding report issued by Philip H. Sheridan Jr. on April 2, 2025, related to collective-bargaining negotiations for the Trumbull County Department of Job and Family Services.
The motion to reject the findings was made and seconded after the board reconvened from an executive session held under Ohio Revised Code §121.22(G)(4), the statutory exception that allows a public body to meet privately to prepare for, conduct, or review collective bargaining strategy. Commissioners Bernard, Malloy and Board President Rick Hernandez each voted “yes” on the motion.
The rejection drew immediate questions during the public-comment period from people who said the district’s workers deserved a transparent explanation. One commenter said rejecting the report without public detail was “not in the best interest of the workers, the county, or the citizens.” John Gargano, identified in the meeting as representing JFS, told the commissioners that the union had met and accepted the report.
Commissioners did not state specific reasons for the vote in the public portion of the meeting. The action followed the executive-session discussion that the board said was about preparing or reviewing negotiations and strategy for JFS. The board made no additional public commitments about next steps beyond the vote recorded at the meeting.
Because the discussion was held under the collective-bargaining exception to Ohio law, the board provided no transcript of deliberations in open session. The public record for the meeting shows only the formal motion to reject the report, the unanimous roll-call vote, and subsequent public comments requesting clarity.
Members of the public suggested the board return to the bargaining table to seek a deal they called better for both employees and the county; JFS representatives confirmed the union had voted to accept the fact-finder’s recommendations. The commissioners did not report a timetable for further bargaining or mediation in open session.
The board adjourned following public comment. No additional formal action on bargaining was recorded in the meeting minutes.
