Following an internal city investigation into Dzik’s arrest, and his subsequent plea of guilty to the charges in Mount Vernon Municipal Court, Dzik and the city reached a settlement agreement which was approved by council.
The agreement includes a one-time severance payment that includes 12 weeks of pay and payout of any unused sick and/or vacation time. Dzik’s annual salary was $160,000.
Dzik, 42, was arrested on a drunken driving charge on the afternoon of Sunday, May 19, in the central Ohio city of Mount Vernon, where he had worked until last fall as safety service director (the equivalent of city manager).
He initially pleaded not guilty to a charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and a left-of-center traffic violation. He later pleaded guilty to the OVI charge and the left-of-center citation was dropped, according to online court records.
Dzik was driving a Huber Heights city vehicle at the time of his arrest. He has been sentenced to two years of probation, $640 in court fines, and 180 days in jail with all but three days suspended for a 72-hour driver intervention program.
Dzik began his role Sept. 11 in Huber Heights. His separation from the city came 10 months into an initial three-year contract.
Russell had been considered for the city’s highest leadership position before. In 2022, he was one of four finalist candidates — which also included Dzik — vetted by Baker Tilly, a human resources firm hired by the city a year prior to assist in the city manager search.
Following an ongoing, unproductive appointment process, which was punctuated by turmoil amongst city council members and even included a six-month pause of the search altogether, Dzik was ultimately appointed to the role.
A resident of Huber Heights, Russell served in various roles within the city’s fire division since 2000 and was promoted to administrative battalion chief in March 2021, according to city documents. He also has previous experience with the city of Xenia Fire Division.
Huber Heights City Council meets at 6 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 6131 Taylorsville Road.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
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