City Budget is always the biggest and most important business a city council has to consider. Thursday March 22nd a finance meeting was held prior to the regularly scheduled council to discuss the 2018 spending in detail.
The acceptance of a business to move into Willoughby Hills through an incentive tax abatement was the first matter addressed. I am glad to announce that Hospice of the Western Reserve will locate as much as 4 million dollars in payroll here in our city. They will occupy a significant portion of the Chagrin North building on Chardon near SOM in a space long vacant. Council has the ability to attract this type of economic activity through our manner of exercise clause prescribed in our Charter, just like Council has the ability to create legislation when the Charter is silent on a particular matter. We welcome Hospice of the Western Reserve to Willoughby Hills! I am trying to work with our Mayor and Finance Director to close the gap the Mayor proposed that spend almost $300,000 more than we are projected to take in. Council asked for cuts or a plan to balance the budget. The administration returned a proposal that cut some areas. Regrettably, their only significant cut was to the position of law director. However, that is not possible until the Mayor proposes someone to fill the role that at least 4 members of Council will confirm. Our Charter’s requirement was changed by voters in 2008, under this current Mayor’s commission. He has failed to deliver. I strongly urged him to work with Council to create a consensus and stop suing the city so we can save on legal fees. Our city cannot operate effectively without legal advice. And competent advice is not free. Budget cuts There are some cuts for administrative niceties like travel and discretionary spending. I was surprised the Mayor wanted to table a new plow truck until next year. I will check into the need in more detail. Council refused to consider cuts for things like pool subsidy and the very small appropriations for a couple recreation programs. Our resident’s families and children don’t need to suffer because of administrative bloat. We need serious savings in administrative overhead so we can pave more roads, hire firefighters and paramedics to save lives, and keep police patrolling our streets working to fight crime. This is the clear and adamantly stated goals that I and the vast majority of Council have promised to deliver, and we will. The regular Council meeting had 6 pieces of legislation to consider. The acting city prosecutor ordinance will be held back due to the current Willoughby Hill city prosecutor suing the city in which he works. The next matter is a memorandum of understanding with the sports league. This was referred in January to the chair of our Recreation Committee of Council who has called two meetings but cancelled them both, and has failed to attend the last two council meetings, including last night. I was informed after the meeting the Councilman Hallum emailed our clerk that he will not attend the Special Meeting called for next Thursday to pass the budget, which is the most important business a city council has to do in a given year. I asked the Mayor if the signups for the baseball season have been impacted, or is there a problem without a current operating agreement. He could not answer the question. This is beyond frustrating for us. The budget ordinance was read a 3rd time. A routine ordinance to align city ordinances with Ohio Revised Code was passed in an urgent manner due to potential liability on income tax issues. We passed the earlier mentioned ordinance for the incentive to Hospice of the Western Reserve. A Resolution to recognize city resident Aiden Johnson on the attainment of Eagle Scout was passed. He is a bright young man who has a great future ahead of him. Safe meetings Council meetings need to be a place where residents feel safe and free to participate in civil discourse. A certain city employee seems to incite people to disrupt council meetings as well as speak out from the back row. I recognize that decisions like budget cuts affect city employee’s personal economy and their paycheck. However, decisions that council makes are for the betterment of the residents we serve, not to the betterment of excessive salaries and perks. I have heard back after the meeting that several residents were deeply concerned of the outbreak and disrespect that a certain employee and a resident displayed by acting out. When I am told that a resident went out to buy MACE today because she felt threatened it causes me great concern. I urge the Mayor to demand that a city employee must either restrain themselves and act civil or do not attend these meetings. Council passed unanimously, a motion to request the Mayor remove a member of the Recreation Commission duties due to his inappropriate behavior and language at the Mayor’s political event, a town hall, toward a resident, a mother with her family present, and public official. I witnessed this personally and was appalled. We can do so much better as a community than to have these issues. In other work... Today, along with Council President Fellows and Councilwoman Pizmoht, I met with a representative of the Cleveland Restoration Society at the Maplegrove Grange. We discussed the historic nature of the building and how our city can continue to preserve it and recognize other worthwhile property around our city. I walked the cemetery after they left and urge you to take a look as well. Please feel free to give me suggestions as to how we can improve the place we honor our city’s departed residents. We will meet again in Special session on Thursday March 29th at 7pm. The audio below is a large file, it was a two hour meeting, and did not include the preceeding hour-long Finance meeting. http://www.willoughbyhills-oh.gov/mtg.0322.18.MP3 Comments are closed.
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Dave's Notes from the MeetingsThis is an effort to keep my constituents informed, check this page for updates. Archives
January 2020
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