Lou Holtz once said, “If you burn your neighbor's house down, it doesn't make your house look better.”  Nevertheless, in College Corner, things remain heated.

After the Village of College Corner's council, led by Mayor Jim Jackson, decided to replace Deputy Ryan Jones (as previously reported), residents both within and without the village became angry.  Insults and accusations were thrown around on Facebook, along with valid questions often lost in the onslaught of public comment.  

In a democracy, public discourse is necessary, as are dissenting and opposing views. In small town governments, however, public meetings are often held at times that interfere with 8-5 jobs.  News runs weekly, and the governmental machine runs achingly slow even to accomplish simple tasks. People's opinions and comments run much faster, and turn to online forums.  When asked to speak on the record, most residents asked to speak anonymously, due to their fear of public shaming. “I have to live here," said one.  "I don't want people putting my personal business on Facebook!” 

Nor does anyone, it seems. The type of retaliation known as Doxxing is when someone will “search for and publish private or identifying information about (a particular individual) on the internet, typically with malicious intent.”  It is important to note that Doxxing is separate from posting public records which have been legally obtained. When people debate in public online forums, we see both---and legitimate questions about matters of public record become mixed with personal character attacks.  For example, at this time in College Corner, a levy must be passed to continue basic operations, but factual information about the details seems buried under small-town politics.  

Mayor Jackson Responds:
Regardless of how you view his politics, one cannot deny Jim Jackson as a resident and community member who has devoted his life to the area.  He has lived in College Corner, Ohio since 1975, where he has run businesses and been on council in some capacity pretty much ever since (with a brief hiatus from the role of mayor in the 90s.)  It is these years in service to the community that have made recent personal attacks hit especially hard.

When asked if he will run for mayor again in the 2023 election, Jackson did not directly respond.  In 40+ years of public service, he's never faced such personal attack on his family, his home, his friends.  It is obvious to see the toll it has taken on him. When asked why he stays in the job of mayor, Jackson once said, “I do it for the village.  We have done, and are doing, great things.”  

He stands by this statement, though his stepdaughter describes a social environment where she and her family no longer feel comfortable walking to the post office after reading such denigrating things online.  “We weren't giving it any credit,” said Allison Dodd, speaking of comments they'd read on Facebook.  “But then it crossed a line.  It's incredibly hurtful.”  Allison works in town, walks her dog daily around the area.  College Corner has always been a place she considered home.  

Moreover, she's seen Jim Jackson behind the scenes, seen his work over the decades to build a community that now seems to have turned against them, or so it feels after a day spent on Facebook. When she saw a post suggesting Jackson was prejudiced against women, she felt she had to speak up.  “It's like people are digging for something that's not there,” Dodd said, adding that Jackson has championed for women's rights for decades, naming many women to the council over the years. “It's just not true,” she said. “And…it's just mean.”

Jennifer Sims Woods, the village fiscal officer, has come under fire as well.  She has spent the past months fielding accusations of nepotism, complaints and questions about her home address, personal life and salary.  Her father, Mike Sims, works pro-bono (meaning he takes no pay) to help guide the water utility in its early years. These issues have been audited and continue to pass scrutiny without reprimand from the State. And yet, Woods said she and her family members have been harassed online, even hassled by passersby while working outdoors.  In twenty years on council, this is a first for her.

Mayor Jackson has responded to the cries of nepotism, an accusation that holds a heavier weight when it comes to governmental hiring.  In a statement posted online, Jackson said “there had been many times over the years when family members served together in some capacity, and that the situation stems “from a general lack of village citizens who stepped into leadership roles or were willing to volunteer to help…” Therefore, the question about nepotism and family members serving the village and/or on council together is…merely about having enough people to keep the village operating. This community has been blessed with several families and individuals who, over the years, stepped up and gave back to their community by serving.”

While arguments continue, the town must still run.  Street lights, water, leaf removal, street repairs, snow removal...the council's daily chores must still get done. But, there is the issue of an injunction, filed against the council by an outside watchdog group that follows and files injunctions on governmental agencies around the state.  There is no doubt the Village of College Corner's council will be scrutinized formally.  

Unfortunately, each audit and injunction comes at the taxpayers' expense.  The responsibility to wait for court proceeding and accept the results will soon fall on the community as well.  One thing is evident, each individual who has been willing to speak on the record has claimed the same motivation:  They want what is best for their community.  Because, at the end of the day, as Allison Dodd said, “We're all neighbors.”

We will continue to follow this story.