Homrighausen family members come under questioning at council session

DOVER — Law Director Doug O'Meara sparred with Mayor Richard Homrighausen's family members at Tuesday's council meeting, questioning them about their involvement in city affairs.

In another revelation, light plant Superintendent Jason Hall said the mayor was directly involved in the hiring of his son, Peter, as a city employee.

Relations have been tense between council and Homrighausen since council conducted an investigation into the mayor's physical and mental well-being last year.

Things deteriorated further in December when the mayor fired Service Director Dave Douglas, Safety/Human Resources Director Gerry Mroczkowski and Eva Newsome, the mayor's executive assistant. Homrighausen has offered no explanation for the firings, but all three testified during the investigation about what they said was his decline in health, both physically and mentally.

On Tuesday, near the end of a relatively quiet council session, O'Meara stood up and began questioning the mayor's wife, Linda, about city ordinance books.

According to the law director, Deputy Auditor Kelly Elliott came into council chambers on March 12, 2021, and saw a light in the ordinance room. She found the mayor's wife in the room, looking through ordinance books without the permission of council Clerk Julie Leggett, Council President Shane Gunnoe or any member of council.

Questioned by O'Meara, Linda Homrighausen said she was there on behalf of the mayor. She said she was looking through ordinance books from 1988 and 1989 for information regarding the mayor's ability to deal with industries.

She said she was let into the room by Newsome.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" the law director asked.

"No, and I did not take anything with me and I did not do anything else in that council room except look through '88 and '89," Linda Homrighausen answered.

O'Meara told council that since that time, the ordinance book from 1976 has turned up missing and has yet to be found.

The law director then began questioning another of the mayor's sons, Nick, if he had solicited classified employees to raise money for the mayor's reelection campaign in the last 10 years.

Nick Homrighausen did not respond.

"Did you send emails out from Harrison County to solicit classified employees to collect money for the Committee to Reelect Homrighausen as mayor?" O'Meara asked again.

Nick Homrighausen is executive director of the Harrison County Community Improvement Corp.

O'Meara again got no response.

"You don't want to answer?" O'Meara asked him.

"Take me to court and I'll answer whatever you want," the mayor's son responded.

"Did you do that? It's a simple question," O'Meara said. "Did you go around or ask certain classified employees to collect money for the Committee to Reelect Homrighausen as mayor. Did you do that?"

"You're the attorney. Take me to court," Nick Homrighausen said.

As O'Meara continued his questioning, the mayor twice told the law director to sit down.

Finally, Nick Homrighausen shouted, "Doug, take us to court! Let's go!"

Gunnoe then pounded his gavel to restore order.

"Take us to court," Nick Homrighausen told O'Meara. "I'll gladly answer any of your questions under oath where we actually have rules and boundaries."

O'Meara told him that under Ohio Revised Code, he could be put under oath at the council meeting.

"Where's the Bible? Where's the judge?" the mayor's son asked.

Gunnoe pounded his gavel again and brought the questioning to an end.

The council president then began questioning Hall about the hiring of Peter Homrighausen.

Gunnoe asked Hall if he remembered being questioned about the hiring by O'Meara and Mroczkowski shortly before Mroczkowski was fired. Hall said yes.

"Did they ask you who brought you the application to hire the son, Peter Homrighausen?" Gunnoe asked.

Hall said it was brought to him by the mayor.

The investigation into the mayor last year found potential nepotism law violations. According to the report, the mayor made the final decision to hire Peter for a city job, violating Ohio Revised Code provisions against nepotism.

As the meeting was wrapping up, two Dover police officers arrived, joining the one who has been attending sessions regularly for the past couple of months.

In regard to the missing ordinance book, Gunnoe said Leggett has requested that ordinance books be locked up to make sure the originals are safe.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Homrighausen family members come under questioning at council session