Mount Carmel City appoints Aaron Peach as police chief; council approves consent agenda

The presiding official moved to appoint Aaron Peach to the position of police chief and the council approved the appointment by roll call after receiving no public opposition.

The mayor (name not specified in the transcript) announced the appointment and asked Aaron Peach to come forward to be sworn in. After an opportunity for discussion and a second from Commissioner Zimmerman, the council conducted a roll-call vote. The presiding official then led the oath and members congratulated the new chief.

Why it matters: the appointment fills the city’s top public-safety post at a time when members also discussed recent public-safety updates and infrastructure work. The meeting also included routine fiscal reporting and action on the consent agenda.

Council business and context The council began by approving minutes from its Feb. 16, 2026 meeting and later approved the consent agenda by roll call. Earlier in the meeting, the presiding official said he had attended a meeting about the abrupt closing of Champion Labs’ Albin location; local mayors and officials formed a task force to explore options to assist displaced workers and seek a buyer or other local solutions.

During routine reports, Commissioner Ackmire said the city recorded $141,401 in revenue in the past two weeks (primarily property and utility tax) and reported a year-to-date total of $4,000,027.07, with year-to-date expenses near $503,000 and roughly 91 percent of the budget position with two months remaining. Commissioner Zimmerman reported that the fire department had 12 calls in the past two weeks and that CPR certifications for first responders were up to date. The council discussed upcoming public-works work including sidewalk projects on Park Road and Market Street and an aquatic-center contractor’s site work.

Votes at a glance - Appointment of Aaron Peach as police chief — moved by the presiding official; seconded; approved by roll call (no opposition recorded; one member was noted absent earlier in roll call). - Approval of minutes (Feb. 16, 2026) — approved by roll call. - Consent agenda — approved by roll call.

What’s next The transcript records that the council deferred the 2026 MFT spending resolution to the next meeting because the presenter was absent. The presiding official said a roof repair should be completed in two to three weeks. The meeting adjourned after routine business.

Quotes "I would like to appoint Aaron Peach the position of police chief," the presiding official said during the appointment. "Repeat after me," he added during the oath.

"Past 2 weeks, we had revenue of $141,401," Commissioner Ackmire said when summarizing recent receipts and year-to-date totals.

(Names and attributions in this article are taken from the meeting transcript; some speakers are identified in the record by title only.)