NEWTOWN, Ohio — The Village of Newtown's mayor has resigned, WCPO has confirmed.
In a letter to village council members on Wednesday, Mayor Mark G. Kobasuk said he and his wife have purchased a home near their farm in Kentucky and plan to move soon.
"We were planning to build a house on our farm over the next several years but our plans changed when a unique property near our farm became available," Kobasuk said. "As such, we will be moving out of the Village of Newtown and I will be resigning from my position as mayor, effective June 30, 2025."
Kobasuk and his family have lived in Newtown since 1998. An attorney, Kobasuk was first appointed to an open council seat in 2005. He was then elected, and served as a council member until he was elected as mayor in 2015.
"I feel honored to have been elected by the citizens of Newtown to three terms as mayor, and I believe that the village has moved in a positive direction and benefited from growth and development during my tenure without any increase in taxes," Kobasuk said in his letter.
Kobasuk wrote that Vice Mayor Terry Fairely will take over. Fairely first joined the village council in 2016 and currently serves as the chair of the Finance/Ordinances/Audit Committee.
The resignation comes as a lawsuit filed against him by Police Chief Tom Synan remains in District Court.
The lawsuit claims Kobasuk has had a "personal vendetta" against Synan for more than eight years, claiming Kobasuk has tried to "destroy Chief Synan's reputation in an attempt to force him to resign from his position as Chief of Police" and even attempted to "manufacture false and defamatory reasons in anticipation of requesting Village Council to remove (Synan)."
Kobasuk makes no mention of the lawsuit in his resignation, saying only that he feels "confident that the progress we have made will continue under the leadership and direction of this Council."
WCPO has reached out to Kobasuk's attorney regarding a statement or interview about his resignation.
