Commissioners withhold $18,928, approve alternate senior-service vendors after disputed invoices

Trumbull County commissioners on the record moved to separate verified payments from contested invoices after senior-levy staff identified discrepancies in vendor billing for lawn care and snow removal for homebound seniors.

Diane, the county's senior-levy administrator, told the board she and staff verified only $364 of charges while recommending the county hold back $18,928 pending further documentation and verification. She said staff will maintain a registered list of consumers, notify each household about program rules and who to call with complaints, and require photographs and phone-verification before releasing payment.

A contractor at the center of the dispute, identified in the transcript as "Mister Merkin," denied any intent to defraud and said long-standing subcontracting arrangements and a deficient tracking system explained the discrepancies. "There's no fraud here," he said, adding later, "I will swear on my parents' grave, I never ever billed for something that wasn't given." Commissioners repeatedly urged caution about pursuing criminal charges and noted the sheriff had classified the matter as a civil, contract dispute.

After lengthy discussion, commissioners instructed staff to: pay verified amounts now, withhold the disputed balance pending further review, and approve the two non-disputed vendors to continue serving seniors while removing the disputed vendor from the current bidding pool. The board also agreed to reopen the lawn-care solicitation and increase outreach to recruit additional providers for both snow and grass services.

County legal counsel, Bill Danzo of the prosecutor's office, advised caution on procurement mechanics and bidding thresholds. He told commissioners that because the contracts were below the competitive-bid threshold the county has flexibility, but warned against artificially splitting procurements to avoid formal bidding requirements. Commissioners discussed a short-term split for this emergency season and a single combined RFP in May for the longer term.

Commissioners praised Diane for catching the discrepancies and emphasized protecting elderly clients from undue stress; they also said they preferred administrative remedies (withholdings, audit, and vendor exclusion) to litigation of senior witnesses. Next steps included a targeted outreach letter to enrolled seniors explaining program expectations, reopening bidding to expand the pool, and follow-up verification of outstanding invoices before any additional payments are made.

What remains unresolved is whether the county will pursue further civil recovery against the disputed invoices; commissioners signaled preference for resolving verified claims and avoiding court for senior witnesses unless necessary.