Voters oust city councilwoman

Police charge recalled council member’s son after alleged incident at polling place.

Hours before the results showed that she would be recalled, Huber Heights Councilwoman Janell Smith’s adult son was cited on a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge after an Election Day incident at a polling place.

Ward 2 voters recalled Janell Smith on Tuesday by a margin of nearly 59 percent to 41 percent, according to final, unofficial election results. Proponents of the recall criticized Smith’s behavior and raised questions about how she handled concerns about the city’s multi-million-dollar water-pressure project.

Under the city charter, Smith must forfeit the office upon certification of the election results. She will be ineligible to hold any city office for the remainder of the term, which expires Dec. 31, 2019.

The Huber Heights city charter requires the Ward 2 seat to be filled within 30 days by majority vote of the remaining members of council. Council will advertise seeking eligible applicants for the position.

Her son, Alexander Ray Smith, 24, is charged in Montgomery County Municipal Court. In a statement to police, Alexander Smith wrote he “pushed away” a girl who approached his mother in what he said was “a very aggressive way.”

The 16-year-old girl wasn’t injured, according to a police report.

Alexander Smith declined to comment. He is scheduled for an arraignment at 10 a.m. Nov. 20, according to court records. No attorney is listed in court records. Janell Smith couldn’t be reached by phone or text message.

A video of the incident released by Huber Heights police to the Dayton Daily News appears to shows Janell Smith holding back her son after he pushes the girl. The incident occurred outside the polling place at New Season Ministry, a church at 5711 Shull Road.

In a written statement, the 911 caller told police “there was a verbal altercation” between Janell Smith and the teen who was demonstrating at the polling place in favor of the recall. The Dayton Daily News isn’t naming the girl because she’s a juvenile.

Janell Smith said in her written statement she “was minding her own business” when the teenager “began to berate me while others videotaped it.” Janell Smith said “some words were exchanged” before the girl approached Janell Smith, who said she “felt there were going to be punches thrown.”

Other witnesses, and Janell Smith herself, told police that the councilwoman mentioned the divorce records of the girl’s parents, which Janell Smith said “angered” the girl.

The incident report, citing the video, says Janell Smith asked the girl, “Do you want to do something?” The girl responded, “No, I am not going to hit you,” at which point Alexander Smith “reached over Janell and pushed” the victim away, according to the report.