City’s law director resigns

Willoughby Hills Law Director Thomas Lobe officially resigned Sept. 19.

Lobe resigned his position as a result of City Council’s 5-2 vote on Sept. 14 calling for the mayor to terminate him if he didn’t step down.

“Unfortunately, due to the City Council’s action, with which I have a fundamental disagreement, I have no choice professionally but to regretfully resign the office of law director for the city of Willoughby Hills,” Lobe said in his Sept. 19 letter.

Lobe, who spent 20 years as the city’s law director, said his resignation was to take effect immediately upon receipt of the letter, which was addressed to Mayor Robert Weger, City

Council and Willoughby Hills residents.

Lobe also noted in his letter that he has worked tirelessly providing legal guidance, direction and advice, whether the advice was accepted or not.

“I have attempted to the best of my ability to dutifully protect and defend the interests of this city,” he said.

There are mixed feeling among the city’s administration and council over the resignation.

Weger voiced his support for Lobe.

“It’s a shame that council didn’t give him a chance, it’s a shame that we lost a good man,” Weger said. “I don’t know how council came up with that he is no good, but they had the five votes that could have removed him.”

Council members Laura Pizmoht, John Plecnik, Nancy Fellows, David Fiebig and Janet Majka voted in favor of asking the mayor to terminate Lobe if he didn’t resign. Opposing votes were cast by council members Christopher Biro and Christopher Hallum.

Hallum, who felt that Lobe was well respected and well versed in law, sees the resignation as a great loss and that it happened over a political climate.

“I feel that there is a political purpose to dismantling our administration in Willoughby Hills,” he said.

Fellows, who serves as council president, said a law director’s purpose is to represent and advise the city in civil, criminal and administrative law matters as the laws of Ohio, the charter and city’s ordinances require at the direction of the Mayor and City Council.

Fiebig felt that the former law director was not representing the city’s interest fairly.

“It had become very clear to the council majority and therefore, our constituency was no longer being represented impartially,” he said. “There was an unabashed animosity from our lawyer towards his client,” Fiebig said.

The city will now need to start a search for a new law director and Fellows is hopeful that the mayor is willing to work with council on the selection process.

“It is my hope that the mayor will advertise for this department head position immediately and that council and he will have an opportunity to interview the candidates together,” Fellows said.

Weger said he hopes to avoid having to advertise the position because he “doesn’t want every lawyer under the sun to apply.”

“There’s qualifications, and some aren’t qualified, and we won’t get someone fresh out of college or anything,” he said.

According to the mayor, the city will probably put a temporary law director in place while it searches for a permanent one.

Weger said that the new law director will be vetted and investigated, and be confirmed by City Council as the city ordinances require of all department heads.

When asked if council would take part in the interviews, Weger responded, “No they won’t, it’s my choice, but we work together to find (a new law director). He said he doesn’t want to spin his wheels and go through the whole process of vetting someone if council won’t give the OK for them.

Phone calls to Lobe for additional comments were not immediately returned.