WASHINGTONVILLE Council OKs lawyer fees to fight $32 million suit

The militia leader alleges village officials conspired to keep him from public office.
WASHINGTONVILLE -- Village council voted to pay an attorney up to $200 per hour to defend a $32 million lawsuit filed by village resident Don Vos.
Vos, leader of an unorganized militia group based in Columbiana County, is suing Washingtonville council members and other village officials for denying his bid to become a member of village government. Vos, of 190 Washington St., filed the lawsuit Sept. 24 in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court.
Mayor Mike Donnalley declined to comment on the suit but said council will hire an attorney in addition to Richard Shelar, village solicitor. The money will be paid from the village general fund, he said.
Requests for jobs
Vos asked village council in fall 2001 to be appointed to the mayor's position, which was being vacated by then-Mayor Charles Morrow, who was resigning.
Council, however, appointed Donnalley, then a councilman, to the post.
Vos then asked council to appoint him to one of three vacant seats on the panel, but he was not appointed.
He never sought to be elected to any of the posts because it was too close to the election for him to file candidacy petitions.
In the lawsuit, Vos accuses village officials of conspiring to defame him and keep him from being named to one of the government positions.
Lawsuit defendants
Among those named in the suit are Morrow, Donnalley, Shelar, council members Theresa Allison, Larry Dickson, Roy Hartman, Norm Sommers and Laura Trummer; village clerk June Garlough; and village treasurer Jean Nocera.