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.”
In April, Barberton City Council initiated proceedings to oust Judge. Council President Shorter 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.”
What next?
Should the mayor’s seat be vacated for any reason, the charter stipulates that the City Council president – currently Shorter Griffin – becomes mayor and serves out the unexpired term or until the beginning of the term of a successor elected under the charter.
If the council president can’t or won’t serve as mayor, another member can be selected by a majority vote of the council to serve out the mayor’s term.
If a successor must be elected, the charter states that a special election be held on the day of the next general muncipal election if the election occurs more than two years prior to the expiration of the unexpired term, and the vacancy occurs more than 120 days before such election.
A council president or council member who has become mayor under these conditions may themselves be a candidate.
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
