Council leader to face challenger

Vice mayor seeks mayor role to increase communication

Chardon Vice Mayor Jeff Smock let Mayor Nancy McArthur know he wants her job next year, but she’s not giving it up without a fight.

At the Dec. 14 City Council meeting, she and outgoing Councilman John Mallen expressed concern about Smock’s intentions.

Mallen, who is leaving council after two terms, used his final remarks to address the re-organizational meeting — Jan. 11 — when officer elections take place.

“I’ve come to the conclusion that I would not vote for a fellow councilman to be mayor who had previously been a department head or city staff, and let me tell you why,” said Mallen, apparently referring to Smock, who served as the city’s finance director for 26 years. “I think that that person brings with them a predisposed, embedded bureaucratic bias. It can add a counterproductive element to council’s decisions. I would even go so far as to say that it has a potential to subvert and compromise the system of checks and balances that are set up to avoid concentration of influence within our local government, not to mention an ongoing adversarial relationship within council.

“In other words, I question this person’s ability at times to see the forest for the trees. So, finally, I’d like to pose a question that’s something for council to think about: How can staff and our government grow and change with the times when you have former staff people detailing and directing how we run things?”

McArthur then read a statement supporting her re-election. She thanked council for selecting her to lead two years ago as the second female

mayor in the city’s history.

“I believe I have served this body nobly, treated everyone on council fairly with respect and consideration,” she said. “I’ve been transparent and supportive of each of you. I am a leader in our community, and I’ve served as council’s spokesperson at many functions, where I share my love, passion and commitment for the future of our city and it’s continued success. I deserve to be reelected as your mayor.”

She noted that, per the city charter, the highest vote-getters in the most recent election get to break any tie vote for the officer positions, and that she and incoming councilman Dan Meleski meet that requirement.

“I have voted for and supported each of you, who were recently elected, including Councilman Smock,” she said. “None of us did any campaigning,

so this was a true, organic pulse of the electorate. … I ask this body to consider the leadership that I’ve provided these past two years, my seniority on council eight years, along with Councilman (Andrew) Blackley, and the importance of a unified council, and I ask for your support to continue for another two years as your president of council and mayor in the city of Chardon.”

She then asked if anyone had further comment. There was no response and the meeting was adjourned.

Smock, reached by phone after the meeting, said, “It is what it is.”

“I’m not going to start slinging mud or anything like that,” he said. “I’m trying to take the high road here and talk about my qualifications, not what anybody else thinks. Everybody’s entitled to their opinion, but I’ve got enough people on council that support me, so I’m just going to leave it at that.”

When asked why he thought change necessary,

“I’m trying to take the high road here and talk about my qualifications, not what anybody else thinks. Everybody’s entitled to their opinion, but I’ve got enough people on council that support me, so I’m just going to leave it at that.” — Chardon Vice Mayor Jeff Smock

he said, “There’s not a lot that needs changed; (City Manager) Randy (Sharpe) does a good job. I would like to improve the communication between the manager and council. I think someone like myself with 30 years of experience with the city of Chardon — as finance director, tax administrator, clerk of council and councilman — I have a pretty good idea how the city operates, and I think council has some things they would like from the manager, and it’s just a matter of everyone getting on the same page.”

He added that he and like-minded Councilman Dave Lelko — former city manager — aren’t trying to put the city in reverse

“I think Nancy thinks we’re trying to make things the way they used to be, and that’s not the case,” Smock said. “The only thing Dave and I have pushed for was the budget, and four of the seven council members agreed with us.”

He was referring to his request to adopt final budget appropriations in the allocation year as opposed to the end of the previous year, a change made by the administration after he and Lelko retired from city staff.

The organizational meeting is at 6:30 p.m. at city hall, 111 Water St.