Costs adding up around Mantua’s police chief firing

The Village of Mantua’s marathon hearing on Oct. 21-22 that resulted in council firing former Police Chief Joseph Urso has carried some financial consequences for the village.

Urso filed an administrative appeal with Portage County Common Pleas Court, prompting Magistrate Chad Hawks to request a transcript of the 12-hour meeting. He may not have expected 1,037 pages to land on the court’s doorstep Dec. 5.

Laughing, Hawks told The Portager he’d have to wait for openings in his schedule and start reading.

“Transcripts are kind of like novels,” he said. “I’ll just have to treat the transcript like an exciting book.”

Both Urso and the village have their marching orders: Urso, as the appellant, has until Jan. 2 to file his brief. Mantua will then have 21 days to file the village’s response, and then Urso will have another 10 days to file his reply.

Either of the parties may ask the court for more time, which may or may not be granted.

The court’s ruling could follow as soon as a week or as long as three months, he said.

Though the Ohio Supreme Court sets a nine-month deadline for rulings once all the filings have been received, Hawks said the matter will not take that long because “it’s of great public concern.”

The city paid the transcription firm Veritext $4,719 to produce transcripts of the Oct. 21-22 council meeting and hearing, and another $55 for logistics, processing and electronic files. Grand total: $4,774 for a transcript that amounted to just over two reams of paper.

Other costs include Mantua paying Portage County Sheriff’s Office deputies Dale Murray and Dustin Diemert $500 and $525, respectively, for providing security during the Oct. 21-21 council meeting and hearing. Meyer said two officers attended the hearing off duty.

Brad Bennett, the Bricker Graydon attorney who represented the city during the 12-hour hearing, received $285 an hour for his services. The city has not yet generated an invoice, but just taking the hearing itself into account, that comes to $3,420. William Mason, Mantua’s solicitor, works at the same law firm, though out of a different office.

Hiram Police Chief James Clemens received $1,104 for his services, figured at $47 an hour for 23.5 hours. He was also present at the Oct. 6 meeting when Meyer and Mason put Urso on paid administrative leave. Clemens’ bill for that date totaled 4.5 hours, or $211.50.

Excel K-9 Services, Inc. received $990 for boarding MPD K9 Ciko from Oct. 6 to 28, including an emergency pickup at Mantua PD. Ciko lived with Urso, who was his K9 handler, until the former chief was put on administrative leave. Urso has since purchased Ciko for a legal dollar.