ALBION — The Village Board of Trustees met on Dec. 26 to address routine end-of-year business, but the meeting was overshadowed by the resignation of a young police officer who cited a toxic relationship between the Village Board and the police department as her reason for leaving. The board accepted the resignation of Police Officer Alexandra Reigl, effective immediately. In a resignation letter read into the record during the meeting, Reigle offered a candid assessment of the department’s morale and her critique of village leadership. Reigle, who spent three years with the Albion Police Department, announced she is joining a neighboring agency. While she thanked Police Chief David Mogile and Lt. William Annable for their mentorship, her praise for village administration was noticeably absent. "The decision to leave the Albion Police Department was not an easy one for me," Reigle wrote. "I have made many friendships here and have had an amazing opportunity to grow... The Albion Police Department has been a second family for me." However, Reigle noted that the department has struggled with internal accountability and its relationship with neighboring law enforcement agencies. "It is sad to see those relationships go rocky or see people inside the department not wanting to work with other people," Reigle stated. The resignation letter leveled significant criticism at Mayor John Javier and the Deputy Mayor regarding their support of law enforcement. Reigle compared the leadership style of her new employer—a town supervisor she interviewed with—to that of the Village Board. "In my three years at Albion, I have not seen that support from the Village Mayor or Deputy Mayor," Reigle wrote. "It was extremely upsetting to see our Union and the Village spend so much money on lawyers for everyone to settle on something so simple and minuscule." Reigle’s departure highlights the ongoing friction between the village and its police union. Contract negotiations have been contentious this year, leading to legal fees that Reigle described as wasteful. She also criticized the contracts offered by the village, stating they fell short of what was needed to retain talent. Beyond the internal strife, Reigle pointed to structural disadvantages in Albion’s compensation package compared to other agencies. She noted that the new department offers a path to promotion—specifically an Investigator position—which is currently unavailable in Albion. She also cited "lifetime medical after retirement" and "compensatory time" options that allow for overtime to be taken as time off rather than pay, a flexibility she felt was lacking in Albion. "It was hard for me to see this as an option at Albion when our contract negotiations went the way they did this year," she wrote. The loss of an officer with three years of experience is a setback for the department. Reigle expressed hope that future village leadership would change the dynamic. "I hope that whoever steps foot into the Village next election gives this department the respect and support the Officer’s deserve," she concluded. In other business, the board reviewed correspondence from Ray Perechinsky, a Senior Client Manager at KeyBank. The correspondence, dated Nov. 7, 2024, detailed potential costs for a daily check issue service. According to the minutes, Perechinsky outlined a "flat $751 a month" fee based on accounts and volumes, with an additional "$110 month" fee if the village chose to send in a daily check issue file. The board discussed the treasury management proposal, though no action was taken to change banking providers during the meeting. The board also authorized the payment of bills and reviewed employee attendance records. The Dec. 26 meeting was one of the final sessions for the current board before the new organizational meeting in January. Reigle’s resignation leaves a vacancy in the department that will need to be addressed by Chief Mogile in the coming year.