An effort to force Mayor Lakeview Mayor Elaine Fagan-Moore out of office took its first step in the court system Friday, Aug. 30, at a preliminary hearing on the petition for her removal was conducted in front Judge Kevin Braig in the Logan County Common Pleas Court.
The petition to remove Fagan Moore as Mayor of Lakeview claims that her actions since taking the position in January clearly violate an obscure element of Ohio law, namely Section 3.07 of the Ohio Revised Code, stating that Fagen-Moore “willfully and flagrantly exercises authority or power not authorized by law, refuses or willfully neglects to enforce the law or to perform any official duty imposed upon him by law, or is guilty of gross neglect of duty, gross immorality, drunkenness, misfeasance, malfeasance, or nonfeasance is guilty of misconduct in office.”
According to the petition, Fagan-Moore’s poor decisions following the March 14 tornado which devastated the village impeded recovery efforts. It also claims that Fagen-Moore has mismanaged the Lakeview Fire Department to the point where there was a mass resignation from the LFD, including the chief, following the tornado and that she has violated sunshine laws by barring the public from what should have been open meetings.
Residents have stated that Fagan-Moore’s actions have resulted in higher insurance rates for residents of the village as well as slower emergency response times as mutual aid is often needed to be called into the village as since the resignation of the Lakeview first responders, the LFD has been consistently unmanned.
The petition for removal was signed by 143 residents, well over the 15 percent needed – 48 in the case of Lakeview – to bring this action to court.
Rather than asking for a jury trial, Fagan-Moore has opted for a bench trial, which has been scheduled for Dec. 2-6. She is being represented by attorney Molly Davis.
Attorney Tim Steinhelfer is acting as attorney for the plaintiffs.