The Clermont Sun

New Richmond Council removes Village Administrator ‘without cause’

The New Richmond Village Council recently voted to remove the Village Administrator from his position, without cause.

The vote to remove former Village Administrator Greg Roberts took place during the regular New Richmond Village Council meeting on June 21. Roberts has been the New Richmond Village Administrator since 2014.

The Clermont Sun reached out to Mayor Glenn Ewing and the other council members for information and their comments on the decision.

Ewing responded via email and said, “Thank you for reaching out, we really appreciate everything that Mr. Roberts has done for the Village of New Richmond, but Tuesday Council voted to have him removed as Administrator without cause.”

Council member Ryan Woodruff also responded via email. He said, “We have been advised by our legal counsel to not make any public comments regarding the removal, without cause, of Village Administrator Greg Roberts aside from acknowledging the numerous contributions Mr. Roberts has made to the Village and surrounding communities over his tenure. Additionally, we wish Mr. Roberts all the best on his future endeavors.”

Requests for comment from the other council members were not answered by time of publication.

Following the council’s vote, Roberts said, “I thank the council, and previous councils, for giving me the opportunity to serve the village. I’m very proud of what’s been accomplished in my time as administrator, and I hope that moving forward, we can build upon what’s been accomplished.”

Most recently, during Roberts’ tenure, New Richmond secured $300,000 from the Ohio State Capital Budget for New Richmond’s Liberty Landing Project.

“I believe my work has positioned the Village well to build upon the recent successes in economic development and established a firm foundation for future success,” Roberts added.

Roberts also explained that there are a lot of staffing transitions happening throughout village departments; specifically department heads.

He added, “With the departure of every department head and several significant contributors to this success, including former Planning and Zoning Administrator, Andrew Gephardt, I wish the Village the best and will continue to be involved in projects that I have an undiminished passion for.”

When asked about the council’s plan to replace Roberts, Ewing said in an email, “As soon as the dust settles we will advertise for our Administrator. No need to rush. We have three employees answering all calls, and we are answering all the emails. Our goal is to keep the communication flowing, and we are handling it for now.”