Falls police chief keeps his job — for now

By Ed Runyan

runyan@vindy.com

NEWTON FALLS

For now, Eugene Fixler still is the Newton Falls police chief, and village council still is in a mood to talk to him about his overspending on police officers.

Council went into executive session for about 45 minutes Monday, then emerged to report that no action would be taken regarding Fixler’s employment.

Mayor Lyle Waddell said council intended to talk to Fixler during the executive session, but Fixler did not attend.

Village Manager Jack Haney has been critical of Fixler’s spending, saying Fixler has overshot his budget throughout the year and has been advised multiple times about it.

Fixler told reporters over the weekend that Haney had told him to quit or council would fire him, and council scheduled a special meeting Monday just to talk about Fixler’s employment.

Waddell said Monday night, “We need to figure out what to do. We’ve been trying to work with the chief.”

Asked if that means Fixler won’t get fired, Waddell said, “Not tonight.”

Asked Monday whether he told Fixler to resign or be fired, Haney declined to comment.

Fixler, a 39-year police veteran, left the village of Windham Police Department to become Newton Falls chief in October, after former Newton Falls Police Chief John Kuivila was fired the previous February after complaints by two female village employees.

As of now, the police department is on pace to be about $140,000 over budget by the end of the year, but a revenue enhancement council approved one week ago will compensate for that loss and provide some additional money for other things, Waddell said.

That enhancement was the elimination of the tax credit formerly given to village residents who pay 1 percent or more income tax in the community where they work. The credit meant such people didn’t have to pay the 1 percent village income tax if they already were paying 1 percent or more where they worked.

Tracy Reimbold, Newton Falls finance director, said she didn’t know how much revenue will be generated by the removal of the credit.

The department dropped from five full-time police officers and the chief one year ago to three full-time officers and the chief now, Waddell said.

Meanwhile village resident Werner Lange filed a referendum petition with village clerk Kathy King on Monday evening calling for the the reversal of council’s action a week ago on the tax credit.

In a letter attached to the petitions, Lange said King is “required to transmit a certified copy of the ordinance, along with our referendum petition, to the Trumbull County Board of Elections.”