GIRARD, Ohio - The Girard mayor is under fire from council after granting comp days to city employees.

During Monday’s council meeting, Girard 1st ward councilman Keith Schubert was the first to question the comp days given out by mayor Mark Zuppo.

“I'm asking for my constituents. They would like an answer on why the days were given,” said Schubert.

During his time as mayor,  Zuppo granted six-and-a-half comp days for city employees. He also gave a comp day to 22 employees for "employee of the month." These days were not in employee contracts and were granted without council approval.

Councilmembers brought their concerns to the city auditor. 

“Do you have a number estimate as far as the cost of the city, or what we heard tonight, was just to boost the morale of employees?” said Mark Standohar, second ward councilman for Girard.

The auditor said over the last two years, the grant comp days cost the city $132,000. Of that total, $127,000 was lost from city employee payroll, and $4,405 was lost from employee of the month comp days.

“So we are just trying to increase the morale of the employees. Started an employee of the month, give them a comp day,” said Zuppo.

Tom Grumley, 4th ward councilman, asked the law director if granting those days was legal.

“So, I asked the law director if the mayor had the authority to give these days, and he told me that he unilaterally did not have the authority to give those days,” said Grumley.

At the last council meeting, council voted against a contract for police sergeants and captains because of legislation that would allow the mayor and safety director to give police and fire employees days off. That part was removed, and council voted unanimously to pass the contract Monday.