By Staff
Officials who worked with him for 10 years as Dowagiac city manager reacted with shock and sadness Thursday at William H. Nelson's Ohio arrest on two felony charges in a sex sting.
The Dayton Daily News became well-read and widely-circulated here with its March 19 story about the case going to a grand jury that prompted Nelson to resign abruptly by letter Monday afternoon as Miamisburg's sixth city manager, citing personal reasons.
Nelson, 48, had been arrested last Oct. 3, but Miamisburg's mayor and council members learned he was leaving before they learned why.
"We are both shocked and saddened by this news," Miamisburg Mayor Dick Church Jr. was quoted as saying March 18. "City Council and I were completely unaware of these charges in Franklin County, but it is now clear why the city manager abruptly resigned on Monday. His continued service in that capacity would have been inappropriate, so it was clearly the right decision from our standpoint."
Dowagiac Mayor Donald Lyons and City Manager Kevin Anderson could not be reached for comment this morning.
"I'm flabbergasted. What else can I say?" said City Clerk James Snow. Sheriff Joe Underwood described himself as "shocked."
County commissioners were buzzing about the scandal Thursday night.
The Dayton newspaper's story Tuesday had quoted Church and the council as wishing the departing Nelson well and expressing sorrow in losing him.
"We accomplished quite a bit in the two years that he has been here," Church had said of Nelson. "He laid the groundwork for many of our ongoing projects, and he performed his duties as city manager with distinction. To be quite honest, I've had nothing but compliments from other city managers of how he got things accomplished."
On Wednesday, the newspaper reported that Nelson and the mayor "talked behind closed doors," but that Nelson "did not disclose to him what his personal reasons were."
Tuesday the council named Assistant City Manager Dody Bruck acting city manager until a permanent replacement can be hired.
After his arrest, Nelson was charged with importuning, a fifth-degree felony, and attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a fourth-degree felony, according to Franklin County Municipal Court records.
The complaint alleges Nelson solicited a detective posing online as a 14-year-old girl in an Internet chat room "to engage in oral sex."
He was arrested by Franklin County sheriff's detectives after appearing at an address in Grove City, southwest of Columbus, where a detective arranged to meet him.
Charges in the complaint are listed as dismissed pending felony charges.
Police agencies in Ohio generally first file through a municipal court, then charges are dropped as the case goes to a grand jury.
As of Wednesday afternoon, no indictment had been handed up or new charges filed.
Miamisburg's police department had been directed to analyze the former city manager's computer for any evidence of inappropriate use.