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Commissioner raises procurement and budget-control concerns as county approves routine transfers and contracts
Summary
Commissioner Frenchko repeatedly abstained or voted no on items citing late or missing supporting documentation, procurement rules and a lack of county budget controls; the board approved multiple routine transfers and appropriations despite her objections.
A recurring theme of the Nov. 13 Trumbull County commissioners meeting was an extended exchange about internal procedure, procurement documentation and budget control led by Commissioner (referred to in the transcript as) Miss Frenchko.
Frenchko abstained or voted no on several items, including acceptance of video minutes, security upgrades, panic button upgrades, COBRA rates, chargeback rates, health premium increases and several large contract modifications, citing late or missing supporting documentation and procurement irregularities. On the agenda item to enter into an agreement for histology/autopsy services with Mercy Health Youngstown LLC (St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital), she asked whether procurement steps had been followed and said the board should receive evidence that three quotes were solicited for non‑bid purchases; she abstained from that vote because she said she had not received the supporting materials.
On a later item about transferring appropriations, Frenchko criticized the county’s budgeting process for lacking capital planning and for frequent intra‑department appropriation transfers. She described the process as "winging it" and urged adoption of 0‑based budgeting; other commissioners defended current practices as routine internal accounting moves that do not create new spending and said the county has operated under budget in recent years.
A procedural dispute also erupted over agenda item 42, which recognized award winners. Frenchko argued the resolutions “do not exist” yet and moved to table until the resolutions were prepared; that motion died for lack of a second and the board voted to create and adopt the resolutions, with Frenchko abstaining. The exchange included a public, pointed debate about the clerk’s role in distributing agenda materials.
Public comment included a resident who asked why a recent workshop recording was not posted; commissioners said no quorum existed so the session was not an official meeting. The session closed with routine adjournment.
