Brimfield trustees rescind fiscal officer resignation, pause new appointment pending bonding and background checks

At an emergency meeting of the Brimfield Board of Trustees, trustees voted to rescind the resolution accepting fiscal officer John Dalzell’s resignation and to pause the appointment of Jasmine Golden pending verification of bonding and background checks. Trustees Mike and Sue voted in favor of both measures during roll-call votes held during the meeting; the actions passed and the meeting was then adjourned.

The board said the immediate reason for the actions was operational: without a bonded fiscal officer the township could not certify payroll or issue purchase orders. One trustee told colleagues the township employs about 70 people and asked for a short pause so payroll and purchase orders would continue to be processed. Trustees said Dalzell agreed to return temporarily to process payroll and POs for a period not to exceed four weeks while the board completes due diligence on Golden’s appointment.

Trustees also moved to rescind a July 28 resolution that had appointed Jasmine Golden (also referred to in the meeting record with variant spellings) to the fiscal-officer post and to revisit that appointment after staff obtain bonding and background-check results. The board discussed whether background checks are required for appointed positions and noted elected officials do not typically undergo the same preappointment checks as employees; trustees said they nevertheless want background- and bonding-related documentation before finalizing an appointment to the fiscal-officer role.

During public comment, a resident sharply criticized the trustees’ decision and their timing, saying the board had violated Ohio’s open-meetings requirements and that the action was unnecessary. “This is a terrible decision,” the resident said. Trustees responded that delaying the appointment temporarily was intended to ensure continuity of payroll and vendor payments and to allow a third trustee who was out of town to review information before a permanent appointment was finalized.

The board directed staff and relevant officials to seek confirmation of bonding availability and to complete background checks before taking further formal action on the fiscal-officer appointment. The meeting concluded after the votes and public comment; the chair closed the emergency session and adjourned.