VILLAGE OF COLLEGE CORNER, Ohio — The embattled government of College Corner got two new council members Thursday after four members of the previous council and multiple members of city administration walked off the job.
Controversy in the small village began in earnest in January when newly-elected Mayor Molly Cason requested access to city property — including the city's financial records — and was denied. She said Mike Sims, village administrator, and his daughter Jennifer Woods, village fiscal officer, were the only ones with keys.
Following a WCPO investigation, Cason was given keys to the government building in May but still could not access the office where town records are stored.
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Since then, Woods and Sims submitted their resignations, four council members quit and Cason changed the town building's locks, gained access to the records room and is cooperating with a state Ethics Board investigation into the town's finances.
"We don't know whether things are on the up and up. We will find out when it's included," the mayor said.
We asked if she expected the investigation, and a pending audit, would reveal misuse of funds.
"I hope not," she said. "I really hope not. I truly hope that there's nothing wrong going on."
Cason said now that there's been an overturn in the vast majority of town staff, she's ready to turn her attention to pressing needs in town.
"That's the chapter that's closed. I'm ready to move forward," she said.
Brandy Singleton was sworn into her new role on the council at Thursday's packed meeting and pledged to increase transparency for the public.
"It's the people's right to know what's going on," she said.
Tom Caudill said he's lived in town for the better part of 70 years and found this was the right time to offer whatever services he had to town after he was sworn in.
"I hope we can get some projects that have been on hold or in the planning stage for several years started and completed," he said.
Cason said the first job the council was working on was filling administrative positions like maintenance, finance and admin to run the city.
Then, they could turn their focus on larger projects like courting a potential natural gas line expansion through town.
WCPO reached out to Woods and Sims for comment again and didn't hear back.
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