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Chiming in – the former mayor of Mingo Junction, Domenic Chappano, explained his opinion on topics related to fire chief Brandon Montgomery during the meeting of the village of Council on Tuesday. – Christopher Dacanay

Mingo Junction – The conflict of Village Council with the Mayor Judy Ruckman because of her controversial dismissal of the fire chief Brandon Montgomery continued on Tuesday evening. Both a former mayor and the current president of the fire brigade union presented their thoughts.

Former Mayor Domenic Chappano and Zack Cunningham, President of Local 3714, belonged to people who expressed their opinion on Tuesday during the Council meeting on how to deal with Montgomerys controversial situation.

Ruckman put the boss paid on a paid vacation on June 13th until the results of an investigation by the office for criminal investigations into alleged misconduct. She now claims to have terminated his employment on February 14, citing the results of her own investigations and three subsequent charges against him.

The Village Council has decided to wait for the results of the BCI examination before they took measures, and the members have contested supposed dismissal and claims that they are lacking in doing so without the consent of the council.

That was the lead over the meeting on Tuesday, in which Chappano expressed his view that the mayor has “Supreme authority about the police and fire” including attitude and fire.

Chappano condemned the situation with Montgomery as “Membrance to the city” And condemned the support of the council for him. He also spoke against the fact that Montgomery had been paid for since he was put on vacation, and worried about $ 53,000. Chappano said that “Let money go through your fingers” And the village should remember these funds.

Council member Adam Peeler had already gone into the records to say that the council does not believe that the dismissal of the mayor is effective and that Montgomery's compensation should not be stopped. After the meeting, he added that Ruckman made the first decision to put Montgomery on a paid vacation.

Peeler said to Chappano that in the USA and Mingo Junction, “You are innocent until you have proven yourself to be guilty.” And “These three -year accusations are examined.”

As for the alleged authority of the mayor about an attitude and shooting, Peeler said: “A mayor is not a dictator in a village. There are certain processes and procedures to protect employees from certain situations. “

Ruckman joined the discussion, was behind the final of her shooting and said that Montgomery's case “Go through the legal system.”

Craig Allen, lawyer of the village, said the village had no choice but to bring Montgomery on vacation, since allegations cannot guarantee shots in peace. However, something had to be done because the village can be held liable if an accused employee is held actively and further accusation arrives during this time.

Chappano asked everyone if Montgomery's salary payments could be called back.

Allen said that it had to be the advice of the council and it would depend on the results of Montgomery's case, which he handed over to the public prosecutor's office of Jefferson County for review.

The Council also heard from Cunningham, who joined the Mingo Junction fire brigade about four months ago and recently became the president of the fire brigade union.

Cunningham claimed that the Fire Union's collective agreement with the village only enables an employee to end due to sexual accusations. This contract exceeds ORK, except in cases where the CBA does not indicate what the orc does.

The contract also stipulates that employees who do not report on five consecutive days have raised their work. Cunningham said that this would apply to employees Rebecca Perry and Wesley Ostroff, whose employment printman ended on July 8th on July 8th. He added that Perry was a rehearsal employee and therefore had no right to complain.

During the meeting of last week, the Council passed a regulation to restore the two who have concluded a three -stage complaint procedure that ended with the council, even though Ruckman repeatedly contested their return.

“I am not sure what's going on, but we have to follow our contracts and our (standard operating process) that we have.” Said Cunningham.

“I don't understand why we are fighting.” He added later “Because the contract is what we're going. And you know that the mayor has the right to stop and fire. Everyone would like to continue saying: “Contract, contract”. But actually we have to read the contract and stop going from 'Ohio Code, says this manual.

All commented all commented on Cunningham's statement and noticed that there is existing “Many conflicts” Between documents such as Orc, village employee manual and CBA, which are all valid village documents.

Cunningham also read an explanation and said that members of the local union would like “Keep all this negativity behind us and go forward.” Adds that members believe that the department is “Run much better than ever.”

In addition, Cathy Stoddart, resident of Village, spoke before the council and informed alleged knowledge from her public information application from the village.

She called for the resignation of the council members Mark Baker, Pat Cramblett and Jodilynn Fitzgerald and claimed that they had taken specific measures that contradict the mission of the village, as stated in the employee manual.

Baker criticized Stoddart for the alleged character diffusion and said: “You don't throw my name out. I wouldn't do that to you. “

In other shops:

• The village writer Jay Fabian repeated a financial meeting on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. to continue discussing the village's budget for most of the 2025.

• Council member Jack Brettell confirmed that the residents should remove all cemetery decorations by March 10, or they are rejected.

• Ruckman said that two weeks ago she was the regulation of the village rate, which the fire fighters Rebecca Perry and Wesley Ostroff would restore, whose employment she ended on July 8th. Allen said that the move was comparable to a veto of the president, although the council can override it.

• City councilor Jodilynn Fitzgerald was absent, but excused.

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