Brimfield officially swears in new fiscal officer, Jasmine Golden

Following a drawn-out public controversy, Brimfield Township Trustee Nic Coia on Aug. 6 swore in the township’s new fiscal officer: Jasmine Golden.

Coia acknowledged that the township’s pre-employment background check did not include a search of candidates’ civil court records. He said the trustees were aware of Golden’s bankruptcy filing, and the township’s legal consultant had reviewed the matter.

“It appears that Miss Golden opened a bakery that went under and the bakery failed to pay a construction contractor who’d done some work on the building so the bakery could operate,” he said.

Golden was found liable in two Portage County Common Pleas Court cases of having acted with fraudulent intent when she failed to pay a construction company for work on her new bakery expansion. She was also found liable for having broken her lease and damaging her landlord’s property at the bakery site, located in the Meadowview Square shopping center between Kent and Ravenna.

She told those assembled for Wednesday’s morning meeting that she declared bankruptcy to protect her livelihood and future after exhausting her financial reserves and other options. She said it was the financially responsible thing to do after the business failed. The bankruptcy case remains open.

Coia also noted that Brimfield Township no longer uses the traditional bonding process for its elected officials, having in 2019 transferred to “Faithful Performance of Duty” coverage through its insurer, OTARMA (Ohio Township Association Risk Management Authority).

The coverage is immediate and could be activated with a single phone call after Golden’s swearing in. There would be no disruption in the township’s ability to process financial transactions, he said.

Coia called the controversy surrounding Golden’s appointment evidence of “growing pains” that come with Brimfield entering a “new era, one of transparency followed by rebuilding.” He said “meaningful improvement requires deliberate planning and sustained effort,” and asked for community members to exercise patience instead of expecting immediate results.

For her part, Golden said she’d applied for the position because she knew Brimfield faced “financial issues” and believed she had the skills “to make a difference.” She said she was not handpicked and had no political agenda.

She said she is not ashamed of her past and is ready “to help bring order and integrity back to the township.”

“Yes, I experienced the failure of a business I once owned. It was a painful and humbling chapter, but also one of the most powerful learning experiences of my life. Failure is a part of growth, and I wouldn’t be the leader I am today without it,” she said.

In the leadup to her assuming office, Coia used part of the trustees’ regularly scheduled Wednesday morning to provide a timeline of who knew and did what, and when:

June 24, 2025: Trustees received email notice of former fiscal officer John Dalziel’s resignation.

June 27: Trustees accepted Dalziel’s resignation, but rejected a motion for Tom Johnson to serve as his replacement. The trustees also advertised for candidates for fiscal officer, setting a response deadline of 4 p.m. July 7.

July 14: During a special meeting, trustees agreed the interview panel would consist of them, Business Manager Holly Woods, county Auditor Matt Kelly, a staff member from the auditor’s office and Brimfield Police Captain Chris Adkins.

July 17: The panel conducted three interviews, after which Woods conducted background checks.

July 18-21: The background checks were completed.

July 28: During a specially convened meeting, trustees selected Golden as the township’s new fiscal officer.

July 31: At Trustee Mike Kostensky’s request, trustees held an emergency session, passing a resolution rescinding both their acceptance of Dalziel’s resignation and of Golden’s appointment.

Aug. 4: Coia met with county prosecutors and learned that once an appointment of a fiscal officer is formally made and submitted to the county board of elections, the appointment is final and cannot be rescinded “pending further review.” That, Coia said, meant the trustees’ actions of July 31 held no legal standing.

“Jasmine Golden is the duly appointed fiscal officer of Brimfield Township pending her formal swearing in,” he told people gathered for the trustees’ Aug. 6 session.

6 p.m. Aug. 6: Golden was sworn in as Brimfield’s new fiscal officer.

Displaying a social media post of herself and Golden seated side-by-side in a bus with many other people, Woods told people gathered for the trustees’ Aug. 6 morning session that the image was initially posted by Leadership Portage County. She, Golden and 41 other people were members of LPC’s 2025 class, which met monthly, Woods said.

The selection committee and the trustees knew the pair had been in the same LPC class, “and that was the extent of our interactions with each other,” she said, noting that other panel members also disclosed that they knew the other applicants that were being interviewed.

“Working or living in a small town, especially in government, means you will likely cross paths with or converse with a large number of residents while you’re working or living there. Just because that happens doesn’t mean any wrongdoing is taking place,” she said.

Two residents addressed trustees about Golden’s appointment, neither of them happy with the way the process unfolded.

Township resident Jacob Whetstone told the trustees they owe Brimfield residents and Golden an apology.

“It’s BS. This township deserves better,” he said.

Township resident James McKey, who is engaged in a zoning dispute with the township, accused the trustees of being insulated by attorneys. The public can “now see the lying, twisting, spinning and manipulation that Brimfield Township government is capable of doing,” he said.

Also Wednesday morning, Brimfield trustees began the process of seeking a $1 million bond to finance the administration building and fire station expansion project. Heading Golden’s to-do list will be determining the actual amount needed: Coia said it may well be less but the trustees needed to “set the bar somewhere.”

The township had applied for an $800,000 bank loan for the fire station expansion but Huntington Bank rejected the application when it turned out the township intended some of the money to remodel the administration building.

Coia also asked for all township departments to standardize their pre-employment background check protocols and said he’s asked the county auditor’s office to examine Brimfield’s books to ensure they are correctly closed out after Dalziel’s exit.

Golden’s appointment is effective through Dec. 1, 2025, Coia said. The position of fiscal officer will appear on the November 2025 ballot. Prospective candidates should contact the Portage County Board of Elections to obtain filing information.