NELSONVILLE, Ohio – Nelsonville City Manager Tom Cangemi — who had been on administrative leave for almost eight months — resigned via email before the council’s regular meeting on Monday, March 24.
With member Opha Lawson absent, the council accepted Cangemi’s resignation, which he tendered via email the same day. Cangemi’s resignation letter was sent from a Marietta-based labor law firm.
Cangemi was put on indefinite administrative leave on July 30, 2024, pending investigation into possible misconduct. The day before, on July 29, Service Director Jason Coen filed a police report detailing an alleged incident between Coen and Cangemi that occurred 10 days prior.
Coen said in the police report that Cangemi “asked to shake my hand to apologize to me and as I extended my hand across the desk, he pulled on my arm. Mr. Cangemi pulled me hard enough that I had to put my left arm down to stop the forward motion caused by his actions. I told him to never pull on me again and that I felt it was a threat to me.” At the time, Coen was recovering from a surgery in that arm.
Cangemi’s resignation is effective Monday, April 7. In the interim, Nelsonville Police Department Chief Devon Tolliver has and will continue to serve as city manager.
Also at the council meeting, Ad-Hoc Advisory Commission Chair Reid Courtney shared updates about the commission’s discussion of the “December problem,” the gap between the end of current council members’ terms and the beginning of the terms for members who will be elected in November as part of the change in the city’s form of government. Those terms will begin in January 2026.
Although the commission had no formal recommendations for the council, City Law Director Jonathan Robe suggested that the council move end-of-year tasks, such as approving the 2026 appropriations budget, earlier on the calendar.
“Council may need to authorize advanced payment of employees salaries just to ensure they get paid,” Robe said. “But I have no doubt the new statutory council will proceed with payment.”
Robe also said the League of Women Voters has discussed hosting a town hall for Nelsonville residents interested in the process of drawing ward maps.
In other business, the council passed an ordinance appropriating interest earned by the city accounts into the general fund. City Auditor Taylor Sappington addressed statements claiming the city was transferring interest from the water fund to the general fund to pay for lawsuits against the city.
“The reason that interest is usually placed in the general fund in Ohio is because the statehouse has constantly cut funds to cities,” Sappington said. “I never thought it would be controversial.”
The council also passed ordinances:
- Authorizing the city to enter into agreements with DLZ Design Services for the wastewater collection system improvement, at a cost of $196,000; the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Water Supply Revolving Loan Account to fund wastewater collection and water system improvement projects; and Boyd Cat Power Systems for continued generator maintenance services.
- Transferring $161,188 from the Canal Street resurfacing fund to the street levy fund.
- Terminating the city’s group life insurance coverage.
- Amending the 2025 appropriations ordinance to adjust the appropriations budget.
Nelsonville City Council meets every other Monday of each month, at Nelsonville City Council Chambers, 211 Lake Hope Drive. Its next regular meeting will be Monday, April 7, 2025, at 7 p.m. Meetings are live streamed on YouTube. Find more at cityofnelsonville.com.
Disclosure: Robe completed and filed incorporation papers for Southeast Ohio Independent News, the nonprofit that publishes the Athens County Independent. He also has provided the Independent with legal advice.
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