ASHLAND — The City of Ashland has started its search for a new chief of police ahead of David Lay’s end-of-January retirement.
Ashland officials posted the job opening for its top law enforcement officer on Thursday. Ashland Mayor Matt Miller said candidates have until Jan. 7 to apply.
Lay stepped into the role in June 2021 after serving as captain of the division since 2010. He joined Ashland Police Division in 1993. He replaced David Marcelli, who served as chief for 11 years.
As of Friday, there were no candidates for the position, Miller said.
“Chief Lay has a long and distinguished career at the Ashland City police department,” Miller said. “He has seen a lot of changes over his time, not the least of which is the introduction to body cameras and computer systems.
“He’s also been present while the changes to 911 dispatch took place. So we lose a lot of great experience as he retires from the agency.”
The mayor is in charge of appointing the chief position. He said there are “a number of folks at the police department who are eligible to apply.”
“I’m sure that we will get some qualified individuals from outside the agency as well,” Miller added.
When the application process closes, the candidates will undergo a PRADCO assessment, which measures applicants’ leadership strengths and weaknesses, Miller said. He will then choose the new chief.
The Civil Service Commission decided in June 2021 that seniority within the Ashland Police Department would play a role in determining who its next chief would be.
Lay was not immediately available to comment.
The job
The job posting states the chief will be responsible for managing day-to-day operations, personnel and training, overseeing the division’s $3.7 million budget, assessing equipment needs, maintaining records compliance and strengthening relationships with the community, city leadership and partner agencies.
The position also calls for active participation in public meetings and open communication with the media, along with the ability to manage critical incidents when necessary.
The next chief should also have “excellent communication skills with direct reports, supervisor, across departments and with the public. Customer service (internal and external) is second only to safety,” reads the job posting.
Pay rate
The posting does not specify a salary. Instead, it states compensation is “based on experience.” However, Miller said Lay currently earns $102,000.
The highest-earning lieutenant at the division earns $43.30 per hour, approximately $90,000 a year, according to the city’s latest union contract with the Ohio Patrolman’s Benevolent Association.
The contract does not address the chief’s pay, because the Ohio’s public employee collective bargaining laws typically separate management roles.
Lay earned degrees in criminal justice from North Central State University in 1990 and Ohio University 1992. He earned a certificate of achievement in criminal justice education at the University of Virginia in 2007, the same year he participated in the FBI National Academy.
He held a number of leadership roles within the division. One of those roles included being a special deputy U.S. marshal for the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force — Richland County Division.