State Supreme Court declines to hear former Dover mayor’s appeal
DOVER – The Ohio Supreme Court will not consider former Dover Mayor Richard Homrighausen’s appeal in his civil case with the city.
Lower courts have ruled Homrighausen owes the city $28,355 in reimbursement for wedding fees he pocketed over his 30 years in office. His attorneys asked the Ohio Supreme Court to reverse the lower courts’ rulings, but the justices last week announced they will not accept the case.
In the civil case, Homrighausen’s attorneys argued he collected “nominal gratuities” and the city is attempting to extract “money lawfully owned by a former mayor who dared to oppose the will of its Council majority.” They frame the case against Homrighausen as politicians weaponizing the “levers of municipal government against political rivals.”
Homrighausen was forced out of office in 2023 when he was convicted of theft in office for pocketing wedding payments instead of depositing them with the city. Separately, he unsuccessfully appealed his criminal conviction all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, the city has its own appeal before the Ohio Supreme Court. Dover attorneys have asked the state’s highest court to review its case with Dover Chemical.
The company has won decisions in the lower courts as the two sides argue over $1.1 million in punitive surcharges the city tried to levy against the company.
Dover Councilman Kevin Korns at a recent Council meeting said he felt like he and his colleagues were being left out of the loop.
“I’m disappointed that Council was not informed on our latest litigation. I had to hear if from the news media a couple weeks ago… I heard it on WJER and WTUZ,” Korns said. “We had this issue before a few years ago and a Council member brought it to the attention of the administration and the previous law director.”
Council members discussed the issue in a closed-door session following Monday’s meeting.