Walbridge clerk agrees to resign

11/16/2000

WALBRIDGE - The village of Walbridge has agreed to pay $1,000 for the resignation of Clerk-Treasurer Karen Teet, according to the terms of a severance agreement signed by both sides.

The agreement stems from a council resolution approved Nov. 1 authorizing village Solicitor P. Martin Aubry to offer Mrs. Teet severance in return for her resignation.

Mrs. Teet, who was appointed to the elected position in May, was paid through the end of October, according to a document released yesterday by Mr. Aubry. She resigned Nov. 2.

Council members who were upset with bookkeeping mistakes that caused inaccurate bank statements asked her to resign last month.

Councilwoman Joann Schiavone resigned from council's finance committee because she said she could no longer work with Mrs. Teet.

Mrs. Schiavone said payments were sent late to the Ohio Public Employee Retirement System in June and July, resulting in an interest penalty.

When Mrs. Teet did not respond to council's resignation demand and they learned about more bookkeeping errors, council voted to enter into the severance agreement.

Some council members said they were concerned with the bookkeeping errors because the previous clerk-treasurer missed sending payments to the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation and the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System.

Mrs. Teet, who could not be reached for comment, is the second village official in recent months to receive a severance agreement in return for a resignation. Former police Chief Timothy Villa, who was hired in May, received $21,000 last month.

Ronald Liwo, a village resident who is president of Local 3970 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, was appointed acting clerk-treasurer.