The village received more than three dozen applications for the position, ultimately narrowing the list down to Sexton and Steve Woolf.
Sexton, who is the husband of Councilwoman Melissa Sexton, was appointed to the position in a 4-2 vote, with Councilmen Gale Joy and Lyndon Perkins dissenting. Melissa Sexton recused herself from the vote.
Peter Sexton most recently served as operations manager for the Montgomery County Juvenile Court’s Nicholas Residential Treatment Center.
According to his resume, he has served in multiple positions at the treatment center since his hiring in 2001, soon after graduating from the University of Cincinnati with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
Sexton has been a resident of New Lebanon for the past 23 years.
Prior to the appointment vote, Councilmen Joy and Perkins expressed concern about the village manager hiring process, which Mayor David Nickerson confirmed during Tuesday’s meeting included the creation of a hiring committee.
Anderson and village law director Mike McNamee declined to answer questions about who was on the committee, how members were selected, and when the committee was created. A Dayton Daily News public records request for this information is pending with the village.
“Mr. Joy’s allegations at last evening’s council meeting alleging Sunshine Law and charter violations are completely without legal merit,” McNamee said in an emailed statement. “This is more of the same from Mr. Joy and the village will make no further comment.”
Joy said he was not part of, nor aware of, any council vote taking place to create the hiring committee. Joy also asserted meetings held by this committee were not announced with public notice ahead of time, as required by the village charter.
“There was no resolution creating a hiring committee; there was no resolution stating the members of the hiring committee; there were no advertised schedules for the meetings that were held to discuss various candidates or the interview of candidates; there were no public meetings of the hiring committee, and there were no minutes provided,” Joy said.
“Furthermore, all of council was not involved in the process and (some) were intentionally kept in the dark about who the members of the committee would be, the process, or questions asked of the candidates,” he said.
Turmoil has mounted amongst the New Lebanon Village Council since the March firings of top village officials, including Police Chief Curtis Hensley, Chief Financial Officer Phillip Hinson, Service Superintendent Scott Brock, and Village Manager Glena Madden. The village’s contracted Law Director Ron Keener was let go at that time, as well.
Since then, Hensley and Madden have filed separate lawsuits against the village, both claiming their firings were in violation of their contracts. The lawsuits remain in process with the courts.
About the Author