Newly elected Albion village trustee steps down as fire commissioner

Kevin Sheehan advised by attorneys he can’t serve in both roles

Photo by Tom Rivers: Kevin Sheehan speaks during a candidate forum on March 5. He was elected to the Albion Village Board on March 18. He was sworn in as a village trustee on April 6, the start of a four-year term.

ALBION – Kevin Sheehan believed he could serve as both an Albion village trustee and a commissioner for the Albion Joint Fire District.

He said the roles seemed separate. The Albion Fire Department used to be part of the village budget with the Village Board functioning as oversight of the fire department, setting and managing its budget.

But the fire department shifted to the Albion Joint Fire District on Jan. 1, 2025. Sheehan was elected to a three-year term as a fire commissioner on Dec. 10, 2024. The commissioners set the district’s budget, and the taxes for the district are collected as part of the Albion and Gaines tax bills in January.

On March 18, he was elected to a four-year as village trustee. Soon after that election he was advised by both the village attorney and fire district attorney that the two offices are incompatible and he can’t do both.

The sticking point, Sheehan said, is the fire district leases the fire hall from the village. In that role, the village has influence over the fire district’s budget. The Village Board works with the fire commissioners to set the rent for the building.

Sheehan wrote a letter March 27, resigning as fire commissioner, effective March 29.

He attended this evening’s fire district monthly meeting, and sat in the audience rather than at the table with the fire commissioners in the back of the fire hall.

Sheehan said he very much enjoyed serving as a fire commissioner and regretted he needed to step down from the position.

“Mr. Sheehan, it has been an honor and a pleasure to have you as a commissioner,” Al Cheverie, the chairman, told him at the meeting.

The fire district currently only has three out of five fire commissioners in office. The district has yet to allow Charlie Monacelli to take office. He was elected in December but has a past felony conviction for attempted burglary in the third degree in 2000. He was in prison for 4 ½ years and then was on parole until 2009. Monacelli wants to be installed as commissioner and has told the district he will pursue litigation if his civil rights continue to be violated with him being kept from the position. He insists arson is the only disqualifying charge to serve as a fire commissioner.

Cheverie, during this evening’s meeting, said the fire commissioners are under a “gag order” and can’t comment on the issue publicly.

He said the fire commissioners will discuss filling Sheehan’s vacancy next month, which likely will be done by appointment.

Cheverie also said the fire commissioners, who also include David Buczek and Derek Howes, need to divvy up Sheehan’s work on the fire district. Sheehan was on three committees: finance, building and legal.

At its meeting this evening, the fire commissioners:

• Approved two new members as firefighters – Kyle Sidari and Lisa DeCarlo.

• Approved paying $575 each to the top 10 responders to calls in 2025.

• Authorized Treasurer Victoria Tabor to invest fire district funds in treasuries which are like CDs. Tabor was authorized to put $380,000 from the “Apparatus Repair & Replacement Reserve” into a fund that will generate 3.75 percent interest if untouched until April 2027, 3.78 percent through October 2027, and a 3.80 percent annual percentage yield until April 2028.

The commissioners also authorized investing $50,000 from the “Building Repair & Replacement Reserve” into a fund with a yield of 3.44 percent through March 2027.