Council talks about raises, rules changes

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

It’s become commonplace on the second and fourth Monday of each month – a Van Wert City Council meeting with plenty of moments of tension.

Monday night was no exception during a meeting that was two minutes shy of two hours, with the main topics of contention being council raises and changes to council rules.

Five days after holding a “Council of the Whole” meeting to discuss options for raises and deciding on a new figure after previous raises were vetoed by Mayor Ken Markward (see previous story here), council members were encouraged by Fourth Ward Councilman Andrew Davis to discuss the issue further.

Davis said not one person (from the public) contacted him directly about raises while Second Ward Councilman David Stinnett, who isn’t seeking re-election and was opposed the higher salaries of $6,100 and $6,700, accused the mayor of using his veto power for votes and said he didn’t see how he could compare city council and school board duties.

“I haven’t seen a school board member go out and talk to his constituents and I haven’t seen them go to zoning board meetings,” he said. “I have to disagree with your assumption that the council should be equal to the school board.”

When informed that Markward’s recommendation would still pay council members double what Van Wert school board members make, Stinnett said he misunderstood the recommendation and apologized, then wondered aloud why Markward didn’t veto his own three percent raise and asked why no further discussion was held on possibly making the job part time.

Markward responded by saying a veto of his raise would have negated salaries and raises of the law director and city auditor as well, and he pointed out council didn’t appear to have any interest in changing the job from full to part time.

“July 11, 2022, I recommended council begin discussing whether or not the mayor’s position should be continued at full time or returned to part time as it was prior to 1979,” Markward said. “Shortly after that, three council members told me privately that they were not interested in making that change. Over the next nine months, two additional council members mentioned that too…my recollection is that somewhere in April of this year, it was mentioned in council that meetings should be held to discuss that issue and then those meetings were never held.”

Markward later said he was puzzled by Stinnett’s comments.

“Mr. Stinnett voted against the $6,100,” Markward said. ”On the night I issued the veto, which supported his position, he thanked me.  Now, just two weeks later, he is describing that veto as an election-related political maneuver.”

After more than 30 minutes of discussion, council members decided to prepare legislation increasing council salaries to $5,500, and $6,100 for the council president, numbers that were seemingly agreed on at the previous Council of the Whole meeting. A vote is expected at the next meeting.

There was another twist. Before the discussion on salaries, City Auditor Martha Balyeat and Law Director John Hatcher informed council members that according to the Ohio Ethics Commission, Ethics Law prohibits elected officials in statutory cities, such as Van Wert, and villages from receiving an increase in compensation when they know they will be re-elected due to having no opponent.

“It appears that if you are running unopposed for council, it is an ethics violation for you to vote for a pay increase,” Balyeat said.

Two current council members are running unopposed – Third Ward Councilman Julie Moore and At-Large Councilman Bill Marshall, who is unopposed in his bid for the fourth ward seat, which is currently held by Davis. Davis is running for council president.

Two At-Large Council members – Judy Bowers and Jeff Kallas are seeking re-election and two challengers are running as well – Joe Jared and Jana Ringwald. Three of them will be elected, but Hatcher said the law is gray in those types of races.

“It doesn’t address that specifically because they are technically running in a contested election,” Hatcher said.

Hatcher advised Moore and Marshall to abstain from voting on raises.

Council members also engaged in a lengthy discussion about changing council rules. Two ordinances were on the agenda for second reading – one deals with preparing ordinances and the other concerns timelines for deciding salaries of elected officials and the filling of board positions by city council.

Both ordinances passed 4-3, with Moore Stinnett and Judy Bowers voting no on both. The two pieces of legislation will have their third and final reading at the next meeting.

A video of Monday’s council meeting, along with previous meetings, can be found at vanwert.org.

Check Wednesday’s News page for more on council’s latest meeting.

The next meeting of Van Wert City Council will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, September 25, in Council Chambers on the second floor of the Municipal Building.