Perry's longtime law director resigns, cites infighting and stains of the job - Massillon Independent
PERRY TWP. – Longtime township Law Director Charlie Hall resigned late Monday night, ending a 36-year run on the job.
More:Perry Township department heads blast law director; attorney not resigning
Hall told The Independent Tuesday morning that serving as law director the past 18 months for Perry has been an extremely strenuous and strained ordeal.
"It's better to move on than continue with all the anxiety," said Hall, who continues to serve as the legal adviser for East Canton and Canton and Pike townships.
Continuous infighting and fracturing relationships among Perry officials were reasons enough for resigning from the post he's held since the mid-1980s.
"I have explored every reasonable effort to resolve problems within the township," Hall's resignation letter states. "Every attempt was rebuffed, refused or undermined."
Hall letter: Perry administrator, fiscal officer create problems
Specifically, Hall's resignation letter singled out Township Administrator Joyce Fetzer-Martin and Fiscal Officer Craig Chessler for allegedly stoking an already tense working environment within Perry government.
"The administrator and fiscal officer took every opportunity to create new problems and to thwart those efforts (of resolution)," Hall wrote. "There is no reasonable circumstance that I can continue to serve as Perry Township law director under the misdirected vitriol of the administrator and fiscal officer."
More:Perry police chief hit with hostile work environment complaint by administrator
Fetzer-Martin and Chessler both declined to comment Tuesday on Hall's departure and his letter of resignation.
Hall also pointed to results of a hostile work environment complaint investigation conducted by the Canton-based Plakas and Mannos law firm. The charge was made in last fall by Fetzer-Martin against Police Chief Mike Pomesky.
The firm's report to Perry trustees — dated New Year's Eve — found no evidence of wrongdoing, such as harassment or targeting, by the chief toward Fetzer-Martin.
Fetzer-Martin disputes much of what is in the report and said it also lacks some pertinent information.
June letter signed by Perry department heads blasted Hall
Last June, an unofficial "no confidence" complaint was levied against Hall by a handful of current or former peers within Perry government. The letter was authored by Chessler and signed by Fetzer-Martin, as well as Road Department Supervisor John Masalko.
Chessler's letter alleged multiple missteps by Hall over numerous years, some of which included failure to review and edit contracts related to township business and not properly preparing ballot language for upcoming levies, causing several months of delay and "losing much needed revenue."
At the time, Hall acknowledged that he was "surprised and disappointed" by the document, saying he would "absolutely not" resign.
Reach Steven at [email protected].
source: https://www.indeonline.com/story/news/2022/01/04/perry-township-law-director-charlie-hall-resigns-after-36-years/9088072002/
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