NEWTON FALLS City manager must resign, or he'll be fired

A hearing on the lawsuit filed by the city manager was set for today.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NEWTON FALLS -- The city manager has 30 days to resign or be fired.
City council voted unanimously in a special meeting Wednesday to suspend Roger Eberhart, stipulating he'll be gone in that time -- one way or the other.
In his motion, Councilman Steve Stevens said it was "in the best interest of the city to terminate the contract."
No other reasons were given for the action.
Eberhart was at work today but declined to comment.
Stevens could not be reached this morning.
In its motion to suspend Eberhart, council agreed to pay him his full salary and medical, eye, dental and life insurance premiums and his retirement contributions, provided he resign from the job until the end of the year, when his contract expires.
Eberhart, city officials and residents have been at odds over a number of issues for months, including Eberhart's job performance.
The battles started in June, when council re-appointed Eberhart and offered him a four-year contract.
The contract was designed to include the final months of this year and would have extended his employment through the middle of 2006.
Residents upset with Eberhart's performance argued against the contract, eventually forcing the recall of two council members. A third council member resigned.
In late September, the new council rescinded the contract, which was never signed by either party.
Petitions
Since then, other residents presented the council with eight pages of petitions, asking the city to do away with the city manager's position and adopt a mayor-council form of government.
A special election on that issue is set for Dec. 10.
In the meantime, Eberhart filed a lawsuit in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court asking for a temporary restraining order to prohibit the council from rescinding the contract.
A preliminary hearing on the lawsuit was set for today before Judge Andrew Logan.
slshaulis@vindy.com