LUCKEY, Ohio — Frustrated Luckey residents received little new information about the village’s plan to acquire a quarry for public water or why the village has filed criminal charges against residents for failure to pay taxes without first contacting them.
“This is not a question-and-answer session, but everyone here on council is here to listen to your comments,” Mayor Cory Panning said in an address to residents during Wednesday’s council meeting.
Neither the mayor nor council members addressed the recent tax charges during the meeting. Councilmen present were Michael Franklin, Richard Heilman, Donald Brickner, Alison Okenka, and Mike McNulty. Councilman Patricia Cavarrubias was absent.
The mayor and councilmen again declined to comment after the meeting.
Residents are increasingly frustrated by officials’ lack of response to the charges.
“A lot of people have gotten letters informing them that they’re criminals,” resident Mary Welch said. “I felt like I had to take a picture of myself turning in my taxes. That makes for a very unsafe feeling in the community.”
For months, the community has been fighting against the village’s public water plan. Residents currently receive their water from private wells.
In 2021, village officials tried to buy the quarry directly from owners T&S Agriventures LLC but could not agree on terms. The village then filed suit to acquire the property through eminent domain.
On March 22, Wood County Common Pleas Court Judge Molly Mack ruled that the village could continue with eminent domain proceedings. The decision has been appealed by the quarry owners.
The same week, 45 Luckey residents received letters notifying them of criminal charges for delinquent taxes and obstruction of official business. The charges were filed by Village Solicitor Corey Speweik.
Belinda Brooks, who served as mayor of Luckey from 2008-17, was among the residents charged. Ms. Brooks said she was never notified about outstanding tax payments from the last three years before she was charged. She says she paid the balance in full but, during her tenure, residents were sent a notification letter before being taken to court.
“Why did you guys go criminal on these when they’re civil for taxes? And a secondary misdemeanor for obstructing business?” she said. “Something just doesn’t seem quite right, you know?”
Village resident Barney Spradling said he did not receive tax charges but was bothered by the council’s response to concerns raised at the previous meeting.
“When one of the residents started to explain her situation to the point where she started to cry, all you people did was just stare at her,” he said. “And when I said that I believe she deserves a response, your comment was, ‘Well, I’m not going to comment on ongoing litigation.’
“What if that was your mother who started to cry? How would you feel about that? Shame on all of you,” he said.
The next council meeting is scheduled for May 2 at 7 p.m.
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