Gregory Smith
Nelsonville City Council censured Gregory Smith in January 2021, investigated his residency, and recorded several votes to remove him that year. Follow those proceedings, an earlier police-chief case, and the later settlement and court filings.
1984–1987: Swimming-pool allegations and police-chief removal
The Fourth District Court of Appeals’ 1987 decision recounts the grounds stated in a February 6, 1985 removal order. According to that order, the events occurred during the night of June 8 and early morning of June 9, 1984, after Smith and other City employees encouraged a woman to accompany them to the Nelsonville City Swimming Pool while it was closed.
The removal order alleged that Smith used obscene language in the woman’s presence and included specific allegations of a sexual nature concerning her. It also alleged that he permitted a City employee to drive while under the influence of alcohol, acquiesced in forcible entry into the closed pool, and allowed a City employee to solicit sexual conduct from the woman.
Contemporary coverage of the 1985 investigation
Two period newspaper clippings supplied to Nelsonville Public Record add context to the 1985 investigation. One, headed “3 Nelsonville employees are suspended,” reported that three other City employees received disciplinary suspensions after an investigation connected to the events at the municipal pool. The article identified police dispatcher Dave Griffin as suspended for three days, police officer Greg Patton for two days, and firefighter Kevin Canter for two days. A second clipping, “3 to get disciplinary action,” reported that those actions were forthcoming. The images provided do not clearly establish the original publication dates of these two items.
The reports describe employment discipline; they do not establish criminal convictions against the employees. Their names and suspension lengths are attributed to the contemporaneous newspaper account rather than an independently reviewed personnel order.
Ohio Supreme Court declines Smith’s appeal — October 1987
The Messenger of Athens reported on October 29, 1987 (page 17), under the headline “Former police chief loses appeal to state’s high court,” that the Ohio Supreme Court had declined to hear Smith’s appeal from the decisions upholding his removal. The newspaper dated the high court’s action to October 21 and described it as a dismissal on the ground that no substantial constitutional question was presented.
The report supplies a later procedural development beyond the Fourth District’s April 30, 1987 appellate decision. The Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the case left the lower-court result undisturbed; it was not a new evidentiary determination about each allegation arising from the 1984 incident.
Sources: two 1985-era newspaper clippings concerning disciplinary action and The Messenger (Athens, Ohio), October 29, 1987, page 17, supplied as images to Nelsonville Public Record. Original full newspaper issues and a Supreme Court journal entry were not supplied with these clippings. Read the linked 1987 Fourth District appellate opinion.
2021 City Council residency and removal proceedings
In January 2021, Nelsonville City Council censured Gregory Smith and initiated an investigation of his continuous residency under the City Charter. On February 22, Council voted 6–0 to adopt an initial removal decision that expressly provided for review by the Athens County Board of Elections. Smith disputed the accusations and the procedures, with attorney Daniel Klos representing him during the proceedings.
Later minutes establish that the matter continued: Council heard evidence and approved another removal motion on June 2, conducted further proceedings and approved a removal motion on September 2, then adopted Resolution 2247 on September 8 specifically titled “A Resolution Removing Gregory Smith From the City of Nelsonville City Council.” The minutes document Council’s actions; they do not independently establish the final outcome of subsequent appeals or review.
Chronological minutes and decisions
- January 26, 2021 — Censure and residency investigation
Council adopted Resolution 2239 censuring Smith, with Smith voting no. Dan Sherman moved for a separate residency investigation; that motion passed with Smith voting no.
Complete regular meeting minutes (PDF) → - February 8, 2021 — Summons served
Sherman served Smith with a summons for a February 19 administrative hearing.
Complete regular meeting minutes (PDF) → - February 22, 2021 — Initial removal decision (6–0)
Cory Taylor moved and Sherman seconded adoption of a decision finding that Smith did not satisfy continuous-residency requirements. Council voted 6–0. The text described removal as subject to Board of Elections review and a suspension pending that review.
Complete regular meeting minutes (PDF) → - March 8, 2021 — County prosecutor representation
Council approved a motion for the Athens County Prosecutor or designee to represent Nelsonville in the Smith matter.
Complete regular meeting minutes (PDF) → - May 24, 2021 — Resolution 2243
Council adopted a resolution appointing Reminger Co., L.P.A. attorneys as special prosecutors for the pending Smith removal proceedings. Sherman seconded adoption.
Complete special meeting minutes (PDF) → - June 2, 2021 — Evidentiary removal hearing and vote
Sherman was sworn as charging official and presented evidence; Smith’s attorney challenged the proof and procedure and presented exhibits. Ms. Jones moved to remove Smith and Sherman seconded. The minutes record all voting members in favor.
Complete special meeting minutes (PDF) → - August 9, 2021 — Smith continued to appear in Council minutes
The regular minutes record Smith moving to support the City Manager’s proposed course of action concerning the Doanville sewer project. This alone does not explain the legal status of his office.
Complete regular meeting minutes (PDF) → - August 23, 2021 — Resolution 2246
Sherman introduced and moved adoption of a further resolution appointing Reminger attorneys to prosecute the pending proceedings. The minutes record unanimous approval among members present; Smith and Taylor were absent.
Complete special meeting minutes (PDF) → - September 2, 2021 — Further hearing and removal motion
Cory Ward Taylor was sworn as charging official. Both sides presented arguments and evidence. Sherman moved to remove Smith over the continuous-residency requirement, Booth seconded, and the minutes record all voting council members in favor.
Complete special meeting minutes (PDF) → - September 8, 2021 — Resolution 2247 expressly removing Smith
At a special meeting, Taylor moved adoption and Sherman seconded Resolution 2247, titled “A Resolution Removing Gregory Smith From the City of Nelsonville City Council.” The minutes record unanimous approval by voting members present; Ms. Jones was absent.
Complete special meeting minutes (PDF) → - September 13, 2021 — Board of Elections contact authorized
Council approved a motion to contact the Athens County Board of Elections to have Smith’s name removed from the November ballot. The minutes document Council’s request, not the Board’s disposition.
Complete regular meeting minutes (PDF) → - December 27, 2021 — Resolution 2258 and hearing notice
Council adopted another special-prosecutor resolution describing removal proceedings as pending. The minutes also record a notice read for a January 12, 2022 public hearing.
Complete regular meeting minutes (PDF) →
People in NPR’s profile index: voting cross-reference
Dan Sherman: Moved the January residency investigation, seconded the February 22 decision, acted as the June 2 charging official, seconded that day’s removal motion, moved the September 2 removal, and seconded Resolution 2247 on September 8. The minutes record unanimous votes on the removal measures. The published minutes do not give individual, name-by-name yes votes for each removal roll call.
Gregory Smith: Voted against the January censure and investigative motion. He was the subject, not a recorded voter, on the 2021 motions to remove him.
Jay Edwards, Susan “Sue” Powell, and Andrea Thompson-Hashman: The selected removal-meeting minutes do not record any of these people casting a Council vote on Smith’s removal. Document-author metadata is not a Council voting record.
Full-length source minutes
The archive includes 12 complete-text PDF reading copies of selected meetings. Each PDF includes the entire selected meeting’s minutes—not just the pages about Smith. The PDFs are text reproductions from the supplied Word documents, with normalized typography; the original uploaded Word files remain preserved in the submitted collection.
2024 settlement documentation
The assembled agreement states a gross cumulative settlement amount of $137,500: $70,000 from the City toward legal fees and expenses and $67,500 from the releasees to Gregory Smith. It also contains dismissal, release, employment, and waiver provisions.
A settlement resolves disputed matters by agreement. It is not, by itself, a judicial finding that either side’s underlying allegations were true.
2026 public-records complaint
Smith’s Court of Claims filing alleges that copies of ordinances were not promptly produced following a March 17, 2026 request. The complaint is a party’s filing, not a final adjudication. The current archive does not contain a final ruling establishing a violation.