Deer Culling: Dave Hromco To Earn Up To $8,000 To Continue Managing Program

The city wants to bring David Hromco back for another year to coordinate its deer culling program

Hromco, who oversaw the program last winter, will earn $40 an hour. He can only work 200 hours, according to the proposed contract, which would max out his pay at $8,000.

The contract will be voted on by city council at its meeting scheduled for 7:30 p.m. tonight.

Hromco will continue to have access to a city cell phone and a city vehicle.

The city brought in Hromco, a retied assistant public works director for the city who had managed previous deer culling programs for the city,  after former Public Works Commissioner Jim Stanek retired at the New Year.

Hromco oversees the program for the city, but the culling itself was performed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which the city signed a contract with last year. In the past the city has used a private company to cull deer.

Each deer killed last winter during Solon's sharpshooting program cost the city taxpayers more than $611.

In total, the sharpshooting program performed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture cost the city $183,353, according to a summary report of the program produced by Hromco.

Sharpshooters from the USDA culled 300 deer between January 30 and March 19. They shot using rifles with from stationary areas at secluded city-owned and some private properties.

The goal of the program was to slash Solon's deer population to reduce car wrecks caused by deer. Solon officials have said Solon has more deer than the city's geography can handle. The program is controversial, as many residents tried to stop the city from being able to hunt deer.