Resident demands apology and accountability from South Russell officials

Kelly Leavenworth Kimball, a South Russell resident and retired firefighter, used the visitor-comment period at the village council meeting on Jan. 5 to demand apology and accountability from village leadership and employees for decisions she said have harmed her family since Jan. 28, 2023. "I am not here for sympathy. I am not here for platitudes," Kimball said, adding that she "choose[s] to demand accountability" and that she wants "accountability, action, and apology."

Kimball told the council she and her family continue to experience anxiety — including when passing the police department — and described the problem as "a village issue" that requires the new council to "exercise due diligence" rather than protect systems. She asked the mayor and council to confront what she called "uncomfortable truths" and to stop protecting employees "instead of people."

In response, the mayor said the council would "take your words" and "discuss them probably privately in executive session," and pledged to "respond back to you in due time." No formal action, apology or timeline was recorded on the public record during the meeting. The mayor's office indicated the council intends to examine the matter outside open session and will report back publicly as appropriate.

The council did not vote on any policy or discipline item tied to Kimball's remarks at the Jan. 5 meeting; the mayor and councilors characterized the next step as further review and possible executive-session discussion before any public response or formal action.