Mayor of small Ohio city has been MIA for a year
The mayor of Dover has been missing in action for much of the past year, according to other officials in this city of about 13,000 people 24 miles south of Canton along Interstate 77.
The City Council sent a letter to Mayor Richard Homrighausen in February calling on him to resign, citing declining faith in his ability to lead the city. The mayor has refused to step down.
“This is a meeting that I absolutely take no joy in presiding over,” council President Shane Gunnoe said in February. “In fact, I’ve said many prayers hoping this meeting would ultimately not be necessary.”
Councilman Don Maurer wrote the letter that was sent to the mayor.
The letter praised Homrighausen’s leadership in years past, citing the practical way he organized the city to run successfully. It noted that the mayor had surrounded himself with good, hardworking people at every level. But it also said the council’s confidence in Homrighausen’s ability to continue to lead the city “has greatly diminished.”
“We care deeply about you and we love Dover just as you love it,” the letter concludes. “And this request is not submitted lightly nor with any pleasure. However our deepest concerns are for the citizens of Dover. Therefore, we ask that you resign the position of mayor effective immediately.”
That didn’t happen, and as concern among city officials grew, the council launched an investigation with the help of the Ulmer & Berne law firm, which has offices in Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus.
Council can’t remove the mayor, but a citizen could file a petition in Common Pleas Court or Probate Court seeking his removal. A citizen also could file a petition for a recall election.
Mayor Homrighausen silent as employees testify against him
Homrighausen, 72, is the city’s longest-serving chief executive. He is in his eighth term as mayor. He was first elected mayor in 1991 and was most recently reelected in 2019.
The eight officials and employees who shared their concerns with council were: Police Chief Paul Bantum; Service Director Dave Douglas; mayor’s executive assistant Eva Newsome; Auditor Nicole Stoldt; Deputy Auditor Kelly Elliott; Assistant Auditor Angie Gump; Clerk of Council Julie Leggett; and technology administrator Matthew Arnett.
The mayor did not respond to a request for comment at the time.
Elliott testified that she has seen a change in the mayor’s behavior.
“I previously knew the mayor to be boisterous, outspoken and funny,” she said. “The mayor is no longer like this. Instead, he appears ill. I have asked the mayor how he is feeling and, in response, he shrugs his shoulders and says, ‘OK.’ ”
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Newsome testified that Homrighausen was ill in 2015 and 2016. He lost weight and his professional demeanor changed.
During the pandemic, leadership and direction did not come from the mayor, Stoldt testified.
Stoldt cited an instance last year when she needed the mayor to sign an application so the city could receive $385,000 in CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act funding. She reached out to the mayor, but got no response.
The day before the application was due, she was finally able to locate the mayor through a text message, she said. The mayor requested she come to his house.
“I arrived at the mayor’s house and saw the mayor sitting on the front porch,” Stoldt said. “The mayor looked frail. He finally signed the application and I was able to submit it the next day, the last day on which I could submit it.”
Report cites 8 areas of concern
The City Council released the final report of its investigation last week, and it focused on eight areas of concern, including: neglect of the responsibilities under the control of the mayor; delegation of authority to non-city personnel; impeding the City Council’s legislative investigation; failure to enforce Dover’s drug-free workplace policy; potential nepotism law violations; potentially receiving improper compensation; failure to disclose compensation to ethics commission; and solicitation calls by city employees for mayoral campaign fundraising event.
“Each of these categories on its own should be a point of concern for every citizen of Dover,” according to a summary of the report read by Gunnoe, the council president, during a meeting. “Taken together, however, it becomes clearly apparent to the members of this body that city administration under Mayor Richard Homrighausen is not functioning currently in a proper manner.”
The mayor was not present at the meeting Wednesday, nor did he call in on Zoom.
The city has spent $14,000 to date on legal fees for the investigation, Gunnoe said.