Perrysburg law director resigns

7/20/2018
BY KATE SNYDER
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Karlene Henderson, law director for the city of Perrysburg.
Karlene Henderson, law director for the city of Perrysburg.

The Perrysburg law director, Karlene Henderson, is resigning after three years to take a new job, said Perrysburg Mayor Tom Mackin. Her last day will be Aug. 3.

Mr. Mackin said the city has not yet received an official resignation letter from Ms. Henderson, and he would not comment on her decision until it did. Ms. Henderson did not respond to messages seeking comment. Details about her new job were unavailable.

City council members were alerted to her resignation on Wednesday, and opinions on her resignation were mixed.

Council member Deborah Born said she believed that Ms. Henderson’s interests as law director have not been with the residents of Perrysburg, and the position should be filled by someone who will serve the city in the best way possible.

“I think in the interest of Perrysburg, this is a very good decision,” Ms. Born said.

In February, Ms. Henderson, Mr. Mackin, and former city prosecutor P. Martin Aubry gave their recommendation to council to hire Chynna Fifer as Mr. Aubry’s replacement. Council rejected Ms. Fifer, and members asked the city to conduct a more formal process and interview more candidates in order to hire the best person for the job.

Earlier this month, Ms. Henderson again recommended Ms. Fifer after an interview process, and council approved Ms. Fifer for the position.

After voting against Ms. Fifer’s appointment in February, Ms. Born said Ms. Henderson spoke to her and tried to persuade her to change her vote. Rather than actually attempting to search for the best candidate for the job, Ms. Born thought Ms. Henderson had already made the decision to recommend Ms. Fifer no matter what.

“I thought it seemed fixed,” Ms. Born said.

Other council members offered Ms. Henderson good luck in her new job.

“I wish her well in her future endeavors,” said council member Haraz Ghanbari.

Council member Jonathan Smith said he hopes her new position goes well for her and that he appreciated the work she’s done for Perrysburg.

“I thought she did a fine job for our city,” he said. “In my opinion, she will be missed.”

Contact Kate Snyder at ksnyder@theblade.com, 419-724-6282, or on Twitter @KL_Snyder.