NEWTON FALLS — Village council has approved by a 5-0 vote having Gene Fixler return as full-time acting police chief for the community.

Council members said at Wednesday’s meeting this will be the first step in bringing back the police department.

Councilwoman-at-Large Julie Stimpert said Fixler will return effective immediately to the position.

Second Ward Councilman Brian Axiotis said he brought the matter of Fixler returning as chief seven months ago, but he and Stimpert noted there were legal matters being addressed.

“It is a shame it had to take this long to bring him back. I wish this would have been done faster,” Axiotis said.

Stimpert said she was excited to know Fixler will be returning to help work on getting the Newton Falls police department back.

Fixler, who was not at the meeting, was afterward reached by phone. He “absolutely looks forward to returning as an active police chief,” and will collaborate with administration and council to bring back the police department.

“The community deserves a good solid police department that they once had,” he said.

The village police department was ended in December 2022, leaving police protection through a contract with the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office.

Fixler said he and officials will need to do research on how to rebuild the police department.

“It will take some time but it is important that we be proactive, and work to get a police department the community deserves,” he said.

Fixler was removed from office in January 2022 by a previous village council.

A previous administration placed Fixler on administrative leave in October 2021 and then voted to remove him.

WITCH HUNT

Fixler said at the time the efforts to remove him from office were nothing more than “a witch hunt.”

He said after he took the matter to court where a court order was issued that he should be reinstated as full-time police chief after being made part-time chief.

“I was never permitted to return as chief,” he said, even after he was reinstated.

Officials said Fixler will be paid his salary and what court-ordered compensation is owed to him.

Law Director Jeff Limbian said Fixler will be entitled to back pay.

“There seems to be the desire that with Chief Fixler back to work to bring the police department or at least explore that option and it would be procedurally advantageous to have the chief on duty full time to take the police department to a more active status,” Limbian said.

Stimpert said Fixler has indicated he will be retiring Nov. 30.

Limbian said Fixler will be paid for the work he will be doing through November and that amount would be deducted from any settlement.

“There will be no double-dipping where he will be getting a salary and a negotiated settlement,” Limbian said.

Stimpert said the village will continue its contract with the sheriff’s office.

Village Manager Mike Novonty said the sheriff’s department will continue doing the majority of the police patrol of the village.

“Once we get Chief Fixler back here we will work things out. We can’t do anything until the police chief is back,” Stimpert said,