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“He’s got extensive township experience which we haven’t had,” said Fiscal Officer Linda Oda. “We’re really excited about having an administrator again.”
Gabbard has been doing the job part-time since January.
Clark is expected to start on May 1 and expected to be paid $85,000 a year.
Clark comes to Clearcreek Twp., just south of the Montgomery County border, from Deerfield Twp., the most populous community in Warren County, outside Mason and near the Hamilton-Warren county border.
According to an on-line biography, Clark was appointed Deerfield’s director of administrative services in February 2011, having previously worked as the township’s code enforcement officer since August 2007.
He could not be reached for comment Friday.
Gabbard was appointed by the other two trustees, Steve Muterspaw and Ed Wade, in a special meeting following the resignation of Jack Cameron.
Cameron notified the trustees of his resignation after 2 1/2 years with the township during an executive session concluding the Jan. 23 meeting. He was paid $103,000 a year by Clearcreek Twp.
"Jack's resignation caught everybody off guard," Oda, also the Warren County Recorder, said.
Cameron resigned to work as administrator in Delhi Twp., Hamilton County.
Gabbard said he removed himself from the search due to ethical questions created when he sought the job.
“By doing that, I could not become the administrator,” Gabbard said in March, after obtaining an informal opinion from the Ohio Ethics Commission.
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Wade and Muterspaw could not be reached.
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Gabbard was working part-time as administrator and was receiving no extra compensation.
Since late January, Oda said the township relied on department heads and staff to provide services to more than 16,000 residents.
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In addition to basic services, the township operations include a police department with jurisdiction in unincorporated parts of the township, just south of the Montgomery County line, and a fire department providing ambulance and fire protection to the entire township, including the city of Springboro.
The annual budget is about $12 million.
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The trustees also interviewed Don Buczek, assistant to the city manager in Bellbrook, Greene County.
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