BELLVILLE, Ohio — Larry Weirich has been hired as Bellville’s new, part-time village administrator.
The move comes after months of debate and cost-cutting measures by Bellville Village Council. Officials said that Weirich is scheduled to take over duties from Chuck Pscholka this October.
Councilman Vic Swisher said it was Weirich’s qualifications that set him apart from the other eight applicants. “He has extensive road knowledge,” Swisher said, “having worked at the County and the State.”
Mayor Darrell Banks agreed, noting that Weirich previously coordinated work for ODOT in Richland County.
The administrator will be in charge of Bellville’s Water and Sewer Department, along with their Streets and Parks Department, Banks said. “He will also be the flood plain manager and zoning inspector,” the mayor noted.
Weirich, a Bellville resident, is currently a Perry Township Trustee and drives a school bus for the Clear Fork district.
Council members voted 5-0 to hire Weirich for 20 hours a week at $20 per hour. Swisher explained that the administrator’s position will include two weeks unpaid vacation annually.
Getting to this point was not easy for Bellville. Last spring council members found themselves at odds with the mayor and community members when they proposed cutting the mayor’s salary from $24,000 to $7,000. The proposal was supposed to provide the village with resources to hire an administrator with more hours.
A compromise was reached that lowered the mayor’s salary by $2,000. Council members also took a small cut in pay. The new administrator will be taking over zoning inspector duties saving the village another $2,300 a year, the mayor said. Current zoning inspector Matt Benick is retiring.
The new administrator will need to look at ways to increase revenues and cut costs for the water and sewer department, which has been experiencing deficits for some time. Swisher told fellow council members the deficits are partly due to greater water efficiency in appliances and water conservation efforts by consumers.
“We are charging more but still taking in less money,” he said.
The council had the first reading of an ordinance that would raise water and sewer rates again. Swisher explained that the public utilities committee is taking steps to raise rates in increments until the water and sewer department can break even.