ASHLAND — Ashland City Schools board member Rob Wash announced his intent to resign from the board at a work session Monday night, thanks to a conflict of interest with his work on the board and his job.
Wash works as an insurance agent and part-owner at Spreng-Smith Agency, which provides personal and business coverage. Spreng-Smith and Ashland City Schools have a partnership, Supt. Steve Paramore said at the work session.
Wash said he plans to remain on the board until June 1, which is graduation day for Ashland City Schools. He was elected to the board in November 2023, and the board swore him in at the beginning of January.
Wash’s resignation is not considered official until the board puts it to a vote, which did not happen at the work session Monday.
According to Paramore, Wash’s resignation will appear on the agenda for the next Ashland City Schools board meeting, which will take place March 25 at 5:30 p.m.
“Rob has always been a big part of the community,” Paramore said during the meeting. “That’s what made (him) an excellent board member.”
Paramore did not have details yet on the process to replace Wash. He likened the announcement about Wash’s retirement Monday to a “first reading,” and said the decision to announce it at the work session was about transparency.
He added the board would discuss replacement and have more to share at its next meeting.
Why is Wash resigning?
When Wash ran for election to the board in November 2023, it didn’t seem there would be issues that cropped up thanks to his work at Spreng-Smith. But after reassessing, Paramore said there were conflicts of interest with Wash’s position on the board and his work at Spreng-Smith.
Paramore said the district went through the Ohio Ethics Commission to make the decision. That commission is a bipartisan state agency that applies and administers the state’s Ethics Law for public officials.
According to that commission, public officials “violate the conflicts of interest provision of the Ohio Ethics Law when they take official action or make decisions that definitely and directly affect themselves, their family members or their business associates.”
The commission’s website states when those in public service have a conflict of interest, they must abstain or recuse themselves from votes, discussions and more on those matters.
“There were a couple things that were non-negotiable, and we don’t want to run the risk of not having Spreng-Smith’s partnership,” Paramore said.
Wash added he felt disappointed to step away, but thought it was the right thing to do. Pam Mowry, the board’s vice president, agreed.
Mowry said in her experience serving on the North Central State College board of trustees, these types of issues require board members to use their own interpretation of the law. She added she would’ve come to the same conclusion in Wash’s shoes.
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