BOARDMAN Trustees oppose cop's request

Trustees say there's no evidence that the officer has moved from Howland.
BOARDMAN -- Saying employment requirements were made clear to Andre Leon, township officials are asking a judge to dismiss the police officer's request for more time to meet them.
Leon began working for the police department Jan. 19, 1998, and was given the standard 15 months to move into the township.
He was eventually fired for not meeting the residency requirement, but an arbitrator ruled this past January that his job should be restored if he met the requirements within 60 days.
That deadline expired March 17 and Leon has asked Mahoning County Common Pleas Court for more time.
Township officials say the definition of residency was spelled out by the arbitrator March 6.
What's in ruling: "Officer Leon shall physically move himself and his family into Boardman Township and establish a permanent residence therein," the arbitrator stated.
"He shall also do all things necessary to prove that he has established a permanent residence, including, but not limited to, voter registration and the enrollment of his children in the appropriate school district."
A ruling on the latest motions by Judge Robert G. Lisotto is pending.
Leon was on the verge of being fired in April 1999 for failing to establish residency in Boardman. He sought a temporary restraining order against trustees, who denied his request for an extension, but before that matter could be heard, he told trustees he had moved into the township.
Trustees, however, say there is no evidence that Leon has moved from Howland into Boardman.