Another Nelsonville timeline: Year two of turmoil

NELSONVILLE, Ohio — Last summer, the Independent created a timeline to illustrate the events and turnover within Nelsonville City Council and administration. 

We last left off with Glennda Tingle’s resignation on July 10, 2023. The council — and administration — have changed considerably since then. 

Timeline of Nelsonville turmoil

From an election shake-up to the firing and rehiring of a law director, here’s a look at how things have changed:

Timeline sources

1. Oct. 6, 2023: Tom Cangemi becomes city manager, making him the sixth in that position in 2023 (Nelsonville City Council hires city manager, honors resident).
2. Nov. 7, 2023: Incumbents Tony Dunfee, Doug Childs and Dan Sherman lose reelection; incumbents Justin Booth, Nancy Sonick and Cory Taylor retain their seats; and newcomers Rita Nguyen and Johnny Flowers are elected. Greg Smith rejoins the body as he ran unopposed. (Incumbents ousted, newcomers elected in Nelsonville City Council race).
3. Nov. 13, 2023: Devon Tolliver becomes permanent police chief, after serving 11 months in an emergency appointment (Tolliver appointed permanent Nelsonville Police Department chief).
4. Dec. 6, 2023: Greg Smith, who ran unopposed in his Nelsonville City Council race, becomes Nelsonville City Council president. Nguyen becomes vice president. The city hires Jonathan Robe as city attorney on a temporary basis (Nelsonville council’s four-time removed member becomes its president).
5. Jan. 22: Greg Smith resigns as council president; Nguyen becomes president and Sonick vice president. Robe is removed as law director via a voice vote that is later codified (Greg Smith set to leave Nelsonville council following settlement).
6. Jan. 23: City signs checks to settle with Smith (Greg Smith set to leave Nelsonville council following settlement).
7. Feb. 10: The council moves to hire Mathew Voltolini as special counsel (Smith resigns from Nelsonville City Council).
8. Feb. 12: Smith resigns from council effective immediately; council passes an ordinance hiring Voltolini (Smith resigns from Nelsonville City Council).
9. Feb. 17: Nguyen resigns from council via email (Nelsonville City Council president receives no confidence votes from city employees (Updated)).
10. Feb. 18: Several hours after sending her resignation, Nguyen rescinds it (Nelsonville City Council president receives no confidence votes from city employees (Updated)).
11. March 11: Dunfee appointed to replace Smith on council in a contentious 3-2 vote (Nelsonville City Council adopts (?) union contracts amidst legal questions).
12. March 13: At a special meeting, Booth, Clement, Dunfee and Taylor vote to dismiss Voltolini as special counsel and rehire Robe. Clement is appointed council president, with Sonick remaining VP (Nelsonville City Council adopts (?) union contracts amidst legal questions).
13. March 14: Nguyen appoints Sue Powell to fill Smith’s seat (Nelsonville City Council adopts (?) union contracts amidst legal questions).
14. March 21: Clement appoints Opha Lawson, who has yet to take the oath of office (Nelsonville City Council reaches new heights of dysfunction).
15. March 25: Council and its attorneys meet, but take no action amid ongoing disputes over the council’s composition (Nelsonville City Council reaches new heights of dysfunction).
16. April 8: Council rehires Robe on a unanimous emergency vote. Powell does not sit on the body; neither does Nguyen. Lawson retains his appointment, per a legal opinion from Robe. Voltolini is no longer a city attorney (With legal intervention, Nelsonville council functions again — for now).

Nelsonville City Council meets every other Monday of each month. Its next regular meeting will be Monday, April 22 at 7 p.m. in Nelsonville City Council Chambers, 211 Lake Hope Drive. Meetings are also livestreamed on YouTube. Find more at cityofnelsonville.com.