Gary Phillips, who has served as Leetonia’s village administrator for the last 25 years, is retiring at the end of May. Before overseeing the water, sewer and street departments since 2000, he had served as Leetonia’s police chief and a village councilman. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)

LEETONIA — For more than four decades, the name Gary Phillips has become synonymous with the village of Leetonia.

During Tuesday’s village council meeting, council acknowledged his intent to resign at the end of the month, appointing Brandon French, utility operator, to the position on an interim basis.

Phillips has been employed with Leetonia since the 1970s, after relocating to the village from his hometown of Wellsville.

He recalled what brought him to Leetonia. Working for the Standard Oil Company while attending Wellsville High School, Phillips was offered the opportunity to manage/own an independent gas station near state Routes 344 and 11, which was still under construction.

Accepting the gesture, Phillips regularly interacted with Leetonia village officials, servicing their vehicles after taking over.

Then-police chief Allen Gibson invited Phillips to join the village’s police chief. After initially declined multiple times, Phillips finally agreed to become a part-time auxiliary officer, eventually being hired as a full-time patrolman and then being promoted to sergeant.

In 1976, he was named acting police chief and ultimately held the job as the village’s top cop until retiring in April 1992.

Phillips admits that he couldn’t get the public service out of his blood and was voted in for two terms as a village councilman.

Midterm in 2000, he resigned his elected office and months later was appointed village administrator, which has served for the last 25 years.

Leetonia mayor Kevin Siembida said Phillips’ longevity is a real testament to his approach to the job, which can end up being a political football at election time.

In Phillips’ case, he is only one of three administrators that Leetonia has had since passing Ordinance 91-1645 to create the appointed post, which replaced the village’s Board of Public Affairs.

Phillips has served in storied company. First, former Columbiana municipal administrator Al Wardingly and then John Simonds, who served for three years until Phillips was named.

Although Phillips’ background was largely in law enforcement, supervision of the safety forces did not fall to the village administrator.

Not discouraged, Phillips did acknowledge satisfying his primary goal of past employment: public service.

“I like helping people and enjoy working with the public,” he notes. “Serving as village administrator has been a treat for me, even when the job has its challenging days.”

Even though Siembida is sorry to see Phillips go, he acknowledged that it is well earned.

In addition to offering Phillips congratulations and thanks for all his years of service on behalf of Leetonia, he said that it is thanks to Phillips that the village was able to keep the lights on, which is not an easy task in government.

“Some of the most difficult times in government center around being able to pay bills,” the mayor explained. “Gary was able to navigate around difficult financial times for the village.”

Phillips talked about those trying times, when a bedroom community with a large number of older residents on limited incomes had to turn off some of their street lights due to needing to be frugal.

Throughout the state of Ohio, the infrastructure in older communities is crumbling, and Leetonia is no different but doing better than most.

Phillips concluded, “(Leetonia’s) infrastructure is more than 100 years old and is going to need some serious updating.”

Both Siembida and council acknowledged that the village administrator cannot just be occupied long term by anyone, so the village will be posting the job opportunity near the end of May and hope to have the right candidate by July.

To apply for the village administrator opening, direct resumes and letters of interest to Siembida at village hall, 300 E. Main St., Leetonia, OH 44431 or email mayor@leetonia.org.