Proposed changes to charter move to next committee for review

Residents may see charter changes as new suggestions are headed to Elyria City Council, including cutting four council seats and adding inclusive gender language.

The appointed Charter Review Commission approved a final report Jan. 14 to send to the Elyria City Council Rules Committee.

Council will vote on whether to put the changes on the ballot, and then voters will decide at the ballot box.

Rules Committee Chairman Mark Jessie told the Charter Review Commission he’s happy to review the proposal.

Jessie said he’s going to look at both sides and not make a decision just because he may be associated with one side.

“Obviously, it’s the elephant in the room as far as Council goes,” he said. “But because this came up, we obviously feel the responsibility to look at it and really debate it and not just give it lip service.”

Two residents made the recommendation, one anonymously and another in a letter to the Charter Review Commission.

Some of the concerns from the public included a non balance of political parties with the four at-large council members resulting in a majority of one party.

Currently, Jack Baird is the lone Republican at-large council member.

Jessie disagrees with cutting the four seats, he said.

He said he has solid reasoning about why he disagrees.

Charter Review President Terry Shilling declined to give Jessie his opinion on the matter.

Shilling said that’s not part of the job he was appointed to do.

In addition to the at-large council seats, the report proposed charter changes to include using both male and female pronouns in the documents, publishing meeting notices electronically instead of print only and allowing the safety service director to enter into contracts up to $5,000, instead of $1,000. Another proposed change is the official date of which city council resignations become effective.

Over the last few years, two Council members handed in resignations over the summer.

With the proposed charter change, resignations would be effective after the adjournment of the next Council meeting, instead of upon submission.

Instead of having 30 days to find the next Council member, Council would have 45 days.

Because Council only meets once a month during the summer, a charter change would allow members more time to appoint a replacement.

The Rules Committee will have to schedule a meeting to go over the suggestions and vote on them.