(WKBN) – Tensions continue to rise in the Trumbull County Commissioners’ Office. Wednesday morning, the maintenance department filed a police report against Commissioner Niki Frenchko. Later, we spoke with Commissioner Chairman Denny Malloy about what happened before Wednesday’s meeting.

The Trumbull County commissioners’ meeting started a few minutes late Wednesday morning.

“We just had a little outbreak from one of our commissioners. Decided to take a hammer to the plexiglass here and take her aggression out on a piece of plastic that’s county property after she was told not to,” Malloy said.

According to Malloy, Trumbull County sheriff’s deputies were called to the meeting room.

“We had a police report this morning from some criminal damaging that was done to the podium last night and we’re here now. She just did it again. In front of all of you. We’re all witnesses to the rage and destruction to county property here,” Malloy said.

Malloy says he had a divider installed about a month ago.

“There was a divider put up to keep heat from a space heater that Commissioner Frenchko keeps under her desk even when it was 77 degrees outside last week or today. She blows the heat, which disturbs myself and the clerk that she aims the heat towards,” Malloy said.

Malloy says Frenchko claimed the divider was getting too hot from her heater.

Commissioner Mauro Cantalamessa: “You just hit something with a hammer.”
Frenchko: “OK.”
Malloy: “You just broke county property with a hammer that union labor installed this morning, for the third time without permission.”
Frenchko: “OK.”

Malloy says this type of behavior is unacceptable.

“It’s a daily distraction. The taxpayers of Trumbull County deserve way better than this,” Malloy said.

As far as safety goes, Malloy is concerned.

“Now that there is a hammer here. I’ve had multiple people reach out to me today and say, ‘What are we going to do about this?’ If she cannot be afraid of you and come and swing a hammer right next to you when you’re sitting there, what is she capable of?” Malloy wondered.

Malloy says this has been turned over to the sheriff’s office and another divider will be installed.

As far as a comment from Frenchko, she stated, “If the new commissioner were as focused as I am on Economic Development, Water and Sewer projects and addressing the State Audit findings, instead of plexiglass, space heaters and political theater, we could really turn a corner here.”