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Springfield trustees name new fiscal officer



Springfield Trustee Dean Young swore in Springfield Local Schools’ new resource officer, Cody Meady, who will oversee the district’s elementary schools. Photo: Maria Lindsay

Michael Spickard Photo courtesy of Michael Spickard

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield residents are going to see a number of staff changes at Town Hall.
During the Feb. 27 meeting, the Springfield Board of Trustees accepted the resignation of Township Administrator Warren Price and approved fiscal officer transition services from Michael Spickard.
Price, an attorney hired in February 2018 to provide administrative services and legal counsel to the township, was not present at the meeting, and a reason for his resignation, which was retroactive to Feb. 15, was not provided. Trustee Dean Young stated the decision to resign was Price’s.
Trustees also approved a motion that “resolved” the position of township administrator remain vacant pending further review. In the interim, Road Superintendent Ted Weinsheimer was selected to assist trustees in the execution of administrative duties.
Also during the meeting, Spickard was hired to provide fiscal office services for the month of March, at a rate of $25 per hour and not to exceed a total of 80 hours. Trustees said they plan to swear in Spickard as the township’s next fiscal officer during a special meeting in late March to succeed current Fiscal Officer Sharon Harms, whose term ends March 31. He will have to run for election to the post in the 2021 November General Election to keep the seat.
Harms did not seek re-election last November, and Trustee Joe DiLauro ran for the seat unopposed. However, DiLauro explained in early January that at the end of November, Ohio Sec. of State Frank LaRose informed him he could not take the seat, as it is a conflict of interest with his current job as a regional supervisor for the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.
Young said after the meeting the position of fiscal officer is difficult to fill partly because of the residency requirement and the pay, which is $28,000 per year. The job duties include managing a budget of $9 million, properly applying revenue from taxes and conducting the payment of bills and payroll for 52 township employees.
“We reached out to a number of people who could possibly fill the role,” said Young. “Mike is a resident and has a strong background in accounting. Based on his résumé and due to the time factor, we decided to appoint him to the position.”
The trustees were tasked with appointing someone to the seat within 30 days from DiLauro’s Jan. 9 official announcement that he could not accept the post.
“I applied because I believed my skills and services would be of benefit to the community in which I live,” said Spickard. “It will be my responsibility to oversee and safeguard the township funds and work with the trustees to see that monies are spent wisely and in the best interest of the residents. I hope to bring efficiency, accountability and transparency to the fiscal office of Springfield Township.”
According to his résumé, Spickard is semiretired and has been managing partner of Summit Financial Partners LLC since he started it in March 2019. He started another company in 1996 and became the CEO after it merged with a company that bought it. He had worked in various finance-related businesses prior to starting his own company.
Trustee also approved a payment of $20,000 to the Southwest Summit Council of Governments (SWSCOG), with $12,600 from the township police department and $7,400 from the fire department. The township joined SWSCOG, which includes the cities of Norton and Barberton and Copley Township, last month to provide dispatch services for both police and fire.
According to Police Chief Jack Simone, some of the benefits of joining SWSCOG include: savings of about $24,000 annually due to economies of scale, in addition to one-time records management savings of $36,000; quicker response times to 911 calls; the ability to segregate calls to allow dispatchers to provide instructions to callers; greater capacity to handle large-scale emergencies; and a better chance for grant funding.
Also during the meeting, Young swore in Springfield Local Schools’ new resource officer, Cody Meady, who will oversee the district’s elementary schools.
In other business, trustees approved:
• an extension of a memorandum of understanding with Summit County Public Health to Dec. 31, for a cost not to exceed $7,193;
• the appointment of Jorden Mclean as a part-time police officer, effective March 9, for a one-year probationary period at a rate of $18 per hour;
• the resignation of firefighter/EMT Kevin Atkinson as a full-time employee, effective March 8, as he has accepted a position with the City of Green Fire Division. He has worked full-time in Springfield for 15 years, according to township officials. Trustees agreed to hire him as a part-time employee, effective March 10; and
• the appointment of Nicholas Folden and Jaret Rockich as full-time firefighters/EMTs, effective Feb. 27, with a probationary one-year period.
Trustees tabled a motion to approve raises for all nonbargaining employees, retroactive to Jan. 1, pending discussion in executive session that followed the regular meeting. Afterward, trustees agreed to gather for a special meeting March 5 to discuss the matter further.
The next regular trustees’ meeting will take place March 12 at 6 p.m. at Town Hall, located at 2459 Canfield Road.