Willoughby Hills voters reject all 9 charter amendments

Willoughby Hills City Council asked residents to vote on nine amendment to the city’s charter, and voters ended up opposing all nine.

Voters rejected the proposed amendment that would require mayoral appointments of department heads to be confirmed by council with a 2,310 to 1,782 vote, according to unofficial final results from the Lake County Elections Board.

The proposed amendment that would have required mayoral appointments of board and commission members to be confirmed by council failed with a 2,293 to 1,785 vote.

Residents also opposed a charter amendment that if passed would have prevented city officials from hiring intermediate family members for city, board and commission positions. This failed by a 2,119 to 1,988 vote.

The proposed amendment that would have enacted a uniform procedure for removal of city officer or employee from his/her position failed with a 2,210 to 1,905 vote.

Voter’s further decided against requiring the submission of the annual budget 60 days in advance with a 2,103 to 1,989 vote.

The proposed amendment that

would have established a legal method for the city to fill critical employment vacancies in the service of health, safety and welfare of residents failed 2,138 to 1,951.

The proposed amendment to Article X to provide a standard for placing issues on a ballot. This change would require the signatures of 25 percent of the voters; the same requirement that is currently used for recall election petitions and charter amendment

petitions failed 2,221 to 1,827.

Voters also rejected by a 2,221-to-1,827-vote to amend Article X by adding a section which would have prohibited special elections without the mutual agreement of the mayor and council both to certify a special election.

The last proposed charter change voters failed to approve was to require reappointment and confirmation of the city’s department heads at least once every four years.

This failed 2,070 to 2,020

“But it was a very close

election and we are going to continue to work to address the problem,” City Council member John Plecnik said.

Council member Chris Hallum said “the residents of Willoughby Hills got it right.”

Mayor Robert Weger said the people he talked to didn’t like the way the amendments were brought about and suspects that why they failed.

Weger said he is planning to appoint a Charter Review Commission very soon to look at the whole charter including these issues because he believes the charter does need help.