By Paul Buescher
Covid-19, the 2020 Election along with the rioting and other unrest in this country, have all dictated the narrative of our news and seemingly took the attention away from local events for the past six-months or more. During this same time, some very troubling incidents have occurred right here in Northfield Center, which have been overshadowed by these national events.
Although relatively brief in nature, what I am now sharing with you is true and accurate with most that can be easily verified on the public record.
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I am one of three Trustees duly elected by the people of this fine community yet two have been making many decisions outside of public meetings, that have and will continue to affect many.
In mid-June of this year, I took a vacation but made it clear that I was available for anything important that might come up. Then, on June 23rd, I was informed by our Service Department that Rich and Russ “ordered” that the thin blue line flag posted at our five-point intersection be removed. They did this because they were fearful that a few BLM kids would cause trouble. And they did this without ever consulting with me because they knew I wouldn’t stand for it. When I confronted Russ about this by email, he replied, “I can’t help it if you weren’t consulted.” Really?
Almost immediately after the flag’s removal, I began receiving complaints and had to explain that I had no part in the decision. The complaints kept coming so I wrote a commentary titled, “Taking a stand in 2020.” My phone stopped ringing and theirs started! They weren’t exactly happy campers having to explain why they removed the most visible support of our law enforcement people. They must have gotten the message because just three days later, they ordered blue and red line flags to be flown at the Townhall and Safety Building, again, without consulting with me.
On July 11th, residents organized a “Law and Order Rally” to clearly show this community’s support for our Sheriff and area police. I was among the 60 residents who participated but Russ and Rich were nowhere around. I take that back. We saw Russ visit the Townhall and casually looked our way and left.
On July 13th, just a couple of days after the rally, Russ and Rich made a proposal at a work session to deny me the Township cell phone that I’ve had since 2006. It was crystal clear to me that this was in retribution for my stand on the flag removal and their resulting embarrassment. Since 2006, I’ve had my home phone forwarded to this cell phone so that I would never miss a call from any resident or to miss any important Township business. The excuse they used was to save the Township $64 a month. In reality however, it’s clear to me and others that they simply want to impede my communications.
Two days later, on July 15th, both Russ and Rich made their decision to propose that “the Township will no longer provide cell phones for internal staff or elected officials.” They don’t want to consult with me and now they made a non-public decision to take my phone away?
After strongly and factually voicing my opposition to this absurdity, I decided to take my cue from both of them. Since they were supposedly looking for ways to save the Township money, I looked around myself and discovered their shocking hypocrisy!
Understand that I have never taken Township provided health coverage and never received any Township equipment other than the aforementioned cell phone. I estimate my savings for the Township in excess of $200,000!
Russ Mazzola has a Township laptop and during his first years in office, he received $9,153.84 in health care premium reimbursements! He then received an additional $4,560.00 in 2020 and will receive another $4,560 for 2021. How much will that add up to after his current four-year term? $18,273.84!
Rich Reville, for just the past TWO years (2019 & 2020), the Township paid a whopping $60,798.88 for Health care coverage for both him and his WIFE! How much will that add up to after his current term? Given the fact that he has been taking available full health care coverage for just under 20-years in office, how much money did the taxpayers spend for this nice perk? My best estimate is over $400,000.00+! Of course, this can be narrowed down with a little more research. And why are the taxpayers paying for health care coverage for him and his wife when both of them are 66 years old and were eligible and possibly even mandated to enroll in Medicare when they turned 65?
To put this in perspective, the taxpayers of Northfield Center paid $74,512.72 for their insurance coverage for just the past two years. In comparison, the entire tax revenue that we received from the JEDD for the first two quarters of this year (2020), totaled $68,752.32. They cost $5,760.40 more than the entire JEDD revenue produced! Remember, that $68,752.32 was supposed to offset part of the cost of the Sheriff’s contract! To put it even another way, that $74,512.72 represents the combined yearly NCT portion of the property tax payments of 223 Northfield Center homeowners! Think about that. That’s 223 NCT homeowners who are handing over their NCT portion of property taxes to pay for their health care insurance. This nice ‘little’ perk is optional for them and some of it might be legal but, is it justifiable, or right? It is (was) YOUR money, you be the judge!
After the full-length version of the above “Hypocrisy” commentary appeared on a couple of Nordonia websites, they really got ticked off and even got a few of their ignorant cohorts to attack me on social media. Russ Mazzola even went so far as to demand my apology for publicizing this PUBLIC information, which I respectfully declined.
In another September 9th email response, Mazzola sarcastically asked, “You talk about all this money your saving the Township. What have you done for the Township? I simply reminded him about the 500+ newsletters that I’ve sent the residents and the 7,727 meetings and events in which I participated. Folks, when this guy first took office three years ago, he didn’t know the difference between a shovel and a bulldozer and he has the audacity to question my record?
If you didn’t guess by now, our working relationship went downhill and this all began over that Thin Blue Line flag incident, which THEY started. The incidents of the deliberate lack of communications continued.
Many of you have noticed summer long construction taking place at the Beacon Hill Park. Although there have been some good and needed improvements and repairs made, the overall project has been described as a “Cluster Screwup” from the beginning.
The project plans were changed at least a dozen or more times to the point that many contractors refused to reply to quote requests. At our August 17th meeting, I specifically asked if the current plans were final and that no more changes would be made. The Parks Committee chairman, Rick Patz, clearly indicated yes and so did Rich Reville. That commitment was ignored during the following weeks. And despite several objections, the healthy 120+ year-old Oak Tree that stood over the west end of the park was cut down.
In addition to more changes, they now want to install a Wi-Fi “hot spot” in the park for an estimated $600 per year, which isn’t even in the budget. Today, the estimated park upgrades are around $30,000+ OVER BUDGET!
Let’s forward now to the latest and most controversial fiasco.
For the last two-years, we all benefitted greatly with Steve Wright as our Township Administrator. He brought us into the 21st century by implementing many improvements to the day to day operations, including our very popular website. Things were moving along quite smoothly but during the last six-months, I sensed something wasn’t right. That’s why it was really no surprise when we received Steve’s resignation on September 22nd. It’s important to remember that the effective date of his resignation was October 23rd.
I met with Steve the very next day and had a one on one talk (exit interview) with him. I could sum up our meeting by stating that Steve was dissatisfied with the culture of the organization! This was a big loss for the community!
As Chairman, I was aware of the Ohio Revised Code 505.031(b), that put the responsibility on me to fill in or find a qualified replacement for Steve, subject to the approval of the Board. I was even reminded of this requirement by Russ Mazzola, in a September 23rd email when he wrote in part, “I would also recommend you review the ORC which talks about vacancies for administrator.”
Due to the short amount of time that we were left with to have Steve train a replacement, I made a recommendation for a current employee to work with Steve on a temporary basis. Russ immediately broke off email communications. I could clearly see where all this was going. They wanted to dump all this on me knowing that I was not qualified to do the job and I certainly didn’t have the time to devote to it.
I spent most of the day on September 24th doing a lot of thinking about all of this. Let’s see now, they’ve been making decisions on their own, they prompted Steve’s resignation, they don’t communicate with me and they want to take my cell phone from me. To heck with all this. I typed up my resignation as Chairman, effective the next day (Sept. 25th) and sent it at 8PM that night. In other words, since the third Trustee (me) has been left out of most of the decision making and communications, I dumped the mess back on them!
There were no responses until our first in person Trustees meeting (since last April) on October 1st. However, before that meeting began, Steve and I were waiting for the others to arrive when Helen Humphrey arrived for her “job interview.” Neither of us knew anything about this. It was a total surprise. Helen said that Rich Reville invited her for an interview. Now, it wasn’t just me being left in the dark but Steve as well. Something was going on here. Helen seemed rightfully disturbed and left to drive back to Copley.
Both Steve’s resignation and mine were accepted by resolution during the open session of the meeting. We then went into executive session to supposedly discuss the process of implementing Steve’s voluntary resignation that was just formally accepted by resolution and effective October 23rd!
Just prior to the executive meeting, Reville called Helen and asked her to return, which she eventually did. Although no job interviews were ever solicited, posted or specifically included on the meeting agenda, Rich Reville, with the obvious prior approval of Mazzola, conducted an interview with Helen Humphrey.
It troubled me that Steve, who is always present at our executive meetings, was told by Reville to not sit in on this meeting. The reason became obvious because the ensuing and very heated discussion centered on a dispute between him and Mazzola. I wish that I could go into more detail but this was an executive session. Suffice it to say that there are (or should be) emails on the public record that will shed more light on the subject.
Now, remember, Steve’s resignation, dated September 22nd, was accepted by the Board on Thursday, October 1st. which was to take effect on October 23rd.
On Monday, October 5th (just 2 business days later), a regular Trustees meeting was conducted. An hour prior to the opening of that meeting, I informed the Townhall and Rich Reville (now Chairman), that I would be unable to participate due to an excruciating kidney stone attack.
Shortly after the meeting opened and without any prior notice to anyone whatsoever, Reville introduced a last-minute resolution that effectively and immediately fired Steve Wright. It was quickly seconded by Mazzola and then passed. And then, in a follow up resolution, immediately hired Helen Humphrey to replace him. They purposely did this knowing that I couldn’t be there to raise a vigorous and most likely very heated objection.
Both Mazzola and Reville have now created their own quagmire because they never rescinded the original resolution that officially accepted Steve’s resignation, which included his October 23rd effective date. It’s still on the books and in effect! And there’s nothing in the ‘termination’ resolution indicating that it supersedes it. Could all of this nonsense be grounds for a lawsuit against the Township?
We agreed to advertise and solicit applications for the Township Administrator vacancy. Five business days were suggested yet just two business days later, they filled the position. To make matters even more ridiculous and embarrassing, the NewsLeader published an article the following Wednesday (Oct. 7th) titled, “Northfield Center Township trustees seek new administrator”. That’s the price of arrogance!
Before I close, I wish to briefly go back to the cell phone issue. Reville and Mazzola officially passed the new Township cell phone policy at the October 5th meeting. This policy not only denies my continued use of a Township phone effective on January 1st, but it also removes a long standing $15 monthly reimbursement given to our Service Department employees for the use of their personal cell phones for Township business. And just for the record, I offered to use my personal cell phone for Township business for a $25 monthly reimbursement, which was obviously ignored.
Neither myself or any of our employees are under any obligation, legal or otherwise, to use our own privately owned property for Township business. In fact, my own research has shown the Township is obligated to provide the tools necessary for me and our employees to fulfil our duties!
If this deplorable and reckless decision is left to stand, the residents will be the ones to suffer. I’ve always responded to your questions, concerns and calls for assistance but THEY are putting an end to this, not me. The Service Department employees used their phones while “on call” to respond to service calls, emergencies, snow plowing calls and to coordinate their day to day work activities. From what I’ve been hearing, they feel the same as I do – No reimbursement, no private cell phone use!
Folks, I know that I am no angel but my intentions have always been righteous I’ve said and done things that some of you disagreed with and sometimes I’ve been wrong. That’s one of the frailties of being human. However, I’ve always been open and honest with you. I’ve always said what I felt and gave you the facts as I knew them. I’ve shared nearly everything with you, which nobody can deny and I’ve gone way above and beyond anything that my fellow two Trustees call communicating.
I know that my usual critics will crawl out from under their rocks with their baseless diatribes, rumor mongering and lies but they no longer bother me. I just consider the source as all of you should. I genuinely care about the health, safety and welfare of you and your families. I’m simply tired of the events and shenanigans of the past six-months or so. What you do with this information is entirely up to you but if you don’t get vocal and involved and hold your elected Trustees accountable, then you can surely expect more of the same for at least the next year or two!
Thank you,
Paul G. Buescher
Northfield Center Twp. – Trustee
330-467-9451
TrusteeBuescher@aol.com
www.northfieldcenter.com
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