By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
Delta has lost its third administrator in as many years after it was confirmed Thursday that Village Administrator Chris Frazer had left the position.
“I can say that he is no longer with the village of Delta and his duties are being assumed by Police Chief Samuel Chappell until further notice,” Mayor Allen Naiber said.
According to Naiber, the village and Frazer “decided to mutually part ways.”
He said it is “possible” that more details could be discussed at the upcoming council meeting scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 17 at 401 Main Street in Delta.
Councilman Chad Johnson said Chappell is in “a lateral position on the organizational chart” and that he “has displayed the leadership skills that are needed to keep the village running as interim administrator until the position is filled.”
Chappell said he was honored that the village thought highly enough of him to consider him to step in during the transition until a new administrator is hired.
“My goal is to keep the village moving forward and moving toward a seamless transition and keep the village operating at a high level,” Chappell said. “I’m just going to take it one day at a time and as things need to be dealt with.”
He said some of his tasks at the police department already coincided with administrator duties, specifically pointing out the speed study that had been undertaken to pursue the addition of an intermediate speed zone on the west end of the village.
He will be presenting the results of the study at the next council meeting.
“A lot of the things are things that go hand in hand, there is some overlap. I’ll be looking at what’s best for the village.
“Some things are going to be new for me, but a lot of them are already a part of it, and will be more a part of it now,” Chappell said.
Frazer’s sudden departure follows a similar exit from his last job as city manager in Bessemer, Michigan.
According to a March 21, 2024 article in The Globe – a weekly newspaper covering the western region of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Frazer was forced out of the position after a little more than four months on the job following a special meeting and closed session.
The article stated he was given the option of resigning within 48 hours or being fired.
Delta’s administrative woes began in May 2023 with the departure of Brad Peebles, who had held the position since December of 2013.
According to a March 10, 2012, article in the Toledo Blade, Peebles was removed from his previous position as economic development commissioner for the City of Toledo and the position effectively eliminated with no public reason given.
In 2024, following Peebles’ departure from Delta, the state auditor’s office launched an investigation and audit of the village’s finances. That audit is still ongoing.
The hiring of Andy Glenn to replace Peebles was approved by the council on May 17, 2023.
During a council meeting on May 20, 2024, Glenn was fired. Councilwoman Ashley Todd resigned in protest immediately after the vote.
He went on to sue the village for wrongful termination. The current status of that lawsuit is unclear.
Edward Ciecka, a partially retired senior advisor for the Ohio City & County Management Association, was named interim administrator on May 29, 2024, before being replaced by Frazer upon his hiring on Dec. 16, 2024.
A request for comment sent to Frazer via Naiber was not returned at the time of publication.