FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio (WOIO) – Fairview Park City Council President Michael Kilbane announced his resignation Saturday morning after his comments on the death of Charlie Kirk caused outrage among some neighbors.
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Kirk, a well-known conservative political activist, died after he was shot in the neck at an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.
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People of Fairview Park took to social media to share their anger after Kilbane commented, “A lot of good people died today. He wasn’t one of them,” on the below post about Kirk’s death.
In a Facebook post, Kilbane resigned from his position in a letter to the mayor and other council members.
One resident, Jimmy Jack, told 19 News that he was horrified when he learned about Kilbane’s comments.
“It went many, many steps too far,” Jack, who’s lived there 22 years, said.
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Jack even responded to Kilbane’s comment on Facebook.
“It’s okay to have differences in opinions,” he said. “But it matters how you package it.”
On Friday morning, Fairview Park Mayor Bill Schneider released the following statement:
“These remarks were made through a personal social media account, and were not made through, or on, official city social media. The remarks are the Councilmember’s words alone. They are not reflective of the views of the City of Fairview Park, city staff, or other elected officials,” Schneider said in the statement.
“Even in a country that may be divided, empathy and care for one another must endure. Respect and responsibility remain essential. Negative comments about the recently deceased are in poor taste and are insensitive to the family that has suffered a loss. Comments made by elected officials, whether unofficially or not, carry with them a responsibility. There is no debating that.”
19 News spoke to Ward 1 Councilman Bryan Simmerly, who said Kilbane’s comments were disappointing.
“Setting your political views aside, Charlie Kirk was a husband and a father, just something I don’t think is a good thing for someone like Michael to be saying,” he said.
But back in 2023, when residents were previously upset over a post by Kilbane, the city posted the following statement:
There is a Fairview Park City Council meeting scheduled for Monday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m.
This is a developing story. Return to 19 News for updates.
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This article was published by WTVG on 2025-09-13 11:01:00
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