Hall says he never voted on ordinances that directly benefited his father

Hall served as a Madison Twp. trustee from 2016 to 2020 before he was elected as a state representative.

He only voted on issues regarding the “whole fire department” and never on issues that directly impacted his father’s personal gains, like raises, he said.

Before he voted, Hall said he discussed the “right procedures” with Twp. Administrator Todd Farler to make sure “all bases were covered.”

“I was not in the wrong,” he said.

Farler said Hall voted on ordinances that provided the fire department medical equipment and supplies, but never directly benefited his father. When the trustees voted whether to purchase a new command vehicle, which Kent Hall would drive, Hall abstained, according to Farler.

“Never a conflict of interest” is how Farler described Hall’s voting record.

Hall always kept “more than an arm’s length” from his father, according to Farler, who served as administrator for 13 years and rarely missed any meetings.

The auditor’s office said Hall and Alan Daniel, whose son, Todd, is the road supervisor should have abstained due voting on issues relating to their relatives. Daniel voted on 36 ordinances in 2018 and 2019, according to the auditor’s office.

“After examining the issue and the votes by the trustees, in our management letter to Madison Township, we recommended that trustees recuse themselves from votes specific to the circumstances described therein as a best practice due to the close family relationships and leadership positions of those family members,” the office said. “In both instances we have referred the votes in question to the Ohio Ethics Commission (OEC) for additional review. The OEC is best positioned to review the specific circumstances and provide a definitive answer related to potential statutory issues. The comments issued by our office in the management letter to Madison Township are consistent with our practice in audits where a question arises related to best practices. We have made no determination that the votes in question are invalid or a statutory issue.”

Those on social media, after reading the audit, have been critical of Hall. Some have called him “unethical.”

Hall said some people “don’t like me” and they’re using the audit as a reason to smear his reputation.

His first term as state representative concludes at the end of 2022 and he’s running against Matt King in the Aug. 2 primary.