YOUNGSTOWN — With tension growing between him and the mayor, Jeff Limbian resigned as Youngstown law director.

Limbian submitted his resignation letter Tuesday, effective immediately, to Mayor Jamael Tito Brown.

“It was time to move on,” Limbian said. “I have enjoyed my time there. I was honored to work for the mayor and with the department heads and staff.”

Limbian said the decision to resign had nothing to do with his last-place finish last week in the race for Youngstown clerk of courts.

“I’m going back into private practice,” Limbian said. “I miss the courtroom.”

Limbian served as law director for nearly six years, which is the longest time for anyone in that job in more than 25 years, and he was Brown’s first appointee when the latter started serving as mayor in January 2018.

When Brown appointed Limbian, the two were very close, but that changed over time, with their relationship worsening over the past two years.

Limbian, whose annual salary was $87,769, declined to discuss his relationship with Brown.

Brown didn’t respond to several requests Tuesday for comment.

Asked for a comment, Nikki Posterli, the mayor’s chief of staff, texted: “He resigned. I don’t have a comment.”

Asked about a replacement, Posterli texted: “The mayor will address that.”

Brown at least will have to appoint an interim replacement for Limbian shortly.

One name mentioned as a possible interim law director is Lou D’Apolito, an assistant law director and retired Mahoning County Common Pleas Court judge.

In a letter sent by Posterli to city administration officials after Limbian’s resignation, she wrote D’Apolito will handle all legal inquiries.

“Whatever the mayor wants to do, I’ll do,” D’Apolito said of an interim appointment.

But he said he’s not interested in the job on a permanent basis.

“I’d prefer the mayor get a younger person for the job,” D’Apolito said.

‘FORCED RESIGNATION’

Councilman Pat Kelly, D-5th Ward, said: “I heard the mayor was getting rid of (Limbian) and that it was a forced resignation. The mayor is running away from Limbian.”

As for the resignation, Kelly said: “It’s not a shock, but it’s a shock.”

He added that Limbian did everything council asked of him, “but it moved slowly. It got done, but it was slow.”

Councilman Julius Oliver, D-1st Ward, said while Limbian “is a great guy,” he “neglected certain things at city hall. That small neglect ended up being huge.”

Oliver said there’s been a “strained relationship” between Limbian and the mayor and city council.

Regarding the resignation, Oliver said, “It’s a shock that it actually happened. But kudos to the mayor and kudos to Jeff for falling on the sword for the city.”

In addition to Limbian’s last-place finish in the Nov. 7 election for city clerk of courts as an independent, he also lost the 2019 Democratic Party primary for a Youngstown Municipal Court judicial seat while serving as law director.

City council members frequently have criticized Limbian for not properly representing them and for issues with legislation. Several said they had no confidence in Limbian’s ability to serve as law director.

Brown suspended Limbian for close to three weeks in late 2021 after the latter made comments about city Clerk Valencia Marrow, who canceled a Nov. 17, 2021, council meeting because legislation from the law office was two days late.

After Limbian returned, it was agreed between him and Brown that he would resign as city prosecutor to concentrate on the administrative duties of the law director.

But the damage was done between the two.

A federal judge two months ago ruled a company that insured Youngstown wasn’t responsible for any financial claims, which could be as high as $5 million, in a wrongful death lawsuit because of the city law department’s “extreme incompetence.”

U.S. District Court Judge John R. Adams wrote: “Through his testimony, Limbian justified his complete lack of oversight in the legal department by repeatedly stating he was not familiar with the civil rules or anything dealing with civil liability.”

The city is appealing the decision.

Councilwoman Anita Davis, D-6th Ward, who clashed numerous times with Limbian, said she was “surprised” when a Vindicator reporter informed her of the resignation.

“I’ve had a lot of issues with him on the law director side, but on the personal side, I like him,” she said. “We’ve done community projects together. He’s a good human being. As law director, he and I butted heads, but he’s a good-hearted person. Sometimes he was in over his head” as law director.

Councilman Mike Ray, D-4th Ward, said he also was “surprised” when told by the reporter of Limbian’s resignation.

“It’s not a secret there’s been public disagreements with several members of the body and Jeff over his duties as law director,” Ray said. “There’s been contention over time.”

Ray said he didn’t know what prompted Limbian’s resignation, but Limbian told him “it was time to move on.”

dskolnick@vindy.com