This story has been updated with additional information.
Barberton’s embattled Mayor William Judge has resigned effective immediately.
“Public service has never been simply a job to me. It has been a calling, a responsibility, and an opportunity to advocate for the residents and families who place their trust in local government,” Judge said in a prepared statement on June 15. “Every decision I have made has been guided by what I believed to be in the best interest of our community.”
Per the city charter, Barberton City Council President Shorter Griffin will now become mayor. He’s set to be sworn in at a June 16 ceremony at 10 a.m. at the Barberton City Building, 576 W Park Ave.Ward 5 Councilwoman and Council Vice President Rebecca Gearheart will take Griffin’s place as president, leaving her seat vacant. She said Ward 5 residents who are registered voters and have lived in the area for at least a year can apply to fill the vacancy.
In April, Barberton City Council initiated proceedings to oust Judge. Griffin said Judge’s behavior on the job led the council to take steps toward his potential removal.
Judge said he respected council’s legislative authority and the removal process outlined in the city charter, which afforded him the opportunity to challenge the attempted removal at a hearing. However, he waived that right, saying, “that hearing would ultimately be conducted by the same Council that initiated these proceedings.”
He said that even if he were able to successfully counter the attempt to remove him, his relationship with council would be tainted by “an ongoing conflict rather than a shared commitment to governing the city.”
“Effective leadership depends on collaboration, mutual trust, and a unified purpose,” Judge said. “When those conditions no longer exist, difficult decisions must be made. After considerable reflection, I have chosen to step aside and devote my full attention to the people who have sacrificed the most throughout my years of public service — my family.”
Councilwoman Gearheart said the city’s attorneys had worked out a deal with Judge’s lawyers that Judge would resign in September instead of taking the matter to a public hearing.
“The last we heard, it was Sept. 1 and it was a joint statement that was going to be released, so I had no clue this was coming today,” she said. No one on the council knew it was coming, she said.
Gearheart said she believes the report detailing the allegations against Judge will not be made public. The report was a draft, she said, and because there was no public hearing, City Council was told the report will remain shielded by attorney-client privilege.
“It’s bittersweet, and I feel sad and a little relieved that it’s over,” she said. “This has gone on for a couple months, but I’m hoping that we can move forward and heal as a city.”
Contact reporter Derek Kreider at DKreider@Gannett.com or 330-541-9413.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Barberton Mayor William Judge resigns effective immediately
Reporting by Derek Kreider, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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By Derek Kreider, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
