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Once again the topic raised by visitors during the Board of Trustees meeting dealt with Constable Dan Valentine, some bringing up his past as an officer in another township and others supporting him.
The two sides at one point were interrupting each other with slightly raised voices going back and forth Tuesday night, forcing Chairman John Wilms to quiet them down so each could have their chance to speak.
"We're not having a trial here," he said.
At the end, he thanked them all for coming and for their cooperation.
Valentine was present for all of it, but said he had no comment when approached after the meeting. Trustees also had little to say, with Trustee Ray Heddleson saying after the meeting that it's all over and done. He said the people can keep coming back, but nothing's going to change, they're not getting rid of Valentine.
"We're not going to put him on trial," he said.
He also pointed to a stack of letters the trustees had received since the last meeting, all in support of Valentine, who's served as constable since Aug. 1, 1991.
Ed Farmer, who was accompanied by his wife Charlene and daughter Brittany who both also spoke, has been vocal the last two meetings questioning the trustees about reinstating Valentine.
Last fall, the longtime constable had been charged with theft for taking some mini bottles of alcohol from a Columbiana liquor store. Trustees put him on paid administrative leave, but after he pleaded guilty to an amended charge of disorderly conduct in Mahoning County Court in Canfield, he was reinstated to full duty in December. Trustees said the decision was based on legal advice.
At this meeting, Ed Farmer shared information that he said he was provided regarding Valentine from the Beaver Township Police Department through a Freedom of Information Act request. Valentine previously worked as a police officer for Beaver Township, reaching the rank of lieutenant before retiring two years ago.
During the meeting, Ed Farmer gave copies of some of the documents to trustees, outlining some allegations made against Valentine while he was working for Beaver Township. One document outlined an investigation by the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office commander of internal affairs related to an alleged violation of police department policy.
None of the allegations resulted in criminal charges. A check of the Mahoning County Courts website showed no cases against Valentine related to the allegations.
"You're still building a case against a man. There's no case to put against him," Wilms said.
"What time does our township become liable for his actions?" Ed Farmer asked.
His wife, Charlene, asked trustees, "Were you guys aware of all this stuff?"
Wilms replied, "If it's not in our township, how would we know about it?"
Another township resident, Johnna Timmons, questioned how they could not do a background check on a police officer.
"I think that's a pretty cloudy past for someone who's supposed to be protecting our community," she said.
Brittany Farmer said she didn't find it acceptable.
Emma Jenkins, who spoke at the last meeting in support of Valentine, repeated her support for him, saying no one is perfect. She said people need to worry about their own problems, noting they're riling against him and he's still here.
"I really don't think he should be getting all this hate for something he's been found not guilty of. He's done so much for the township," Jenkins said.
Her grandmother, Tami Dennison, also spoke again, saying she would trust Valentine every time, any time, with her life and the lives of her girls.
Tony Waskiewicz, who had come to Jenkins' defense when the others were making comments while she was speaking, spoke about charges not being brought to a court of law.
In a related matter, Fiscal Officer Dale Davis provided another resident, Dean Farmer, with written answers to several questions he asked last time in a written document regarding the constable's salary and fringe benefits and information about the cruiser.
Valentine is paid a salary of $1,500 per month and does not receive any sick pay, vacation or paid time off. The only insurance benefit he receives is life insurance, which costs $16.80 per month. No insurance benefits are provided for his family.
As for the patrol unit, the estimated monthly cost of operating it is $135 per month for gas and insurance. Maintenance costs were $978 in 2020 and $1,027 in 2019. There's no money owed on the patrol unit, which averages 10,000 miles per year.
mgreier@salemnews.net