Lorain voters to consider council terms

2 years now, would go to 4 years if issue passes

Lorain voters will consider changing city council member terms of office from two years to four years.

On Nov. 2, Lorain city voters will consider Issue 8, a resolution that also would stagger the terms of city council members by ward.

The issue would include the president of council, which currently has a two-year term of office.

In Lorain, the council president is a member of the executive branch of government, but presides over council meetings and may cast a deciding vote if council has a tie.

Joel Arredondo is currently city council president.

If voters approve, council members from wards 1, 3, 5 and 7, and those elected at-large, would get four-year terms starting Jan. 1, 2024.

Council members from wards 2, 4, 6 and 8, and the council president, would get four-year terms starting Jan. 1, 2026.

With those starting dates, the issue does not affect the two-year terms of city council candidates appearing on the Nov. 2 ballot.

Lorain Councilman-at-Large Tony Dimacchia sponsored the legislation in deliberations in May.

Council voted 8-3 to put the issue up for a citywide vote.

Dimacchia, Councilwoman-atLarge Mary Springowski, Councilman-at-Large Mitch Fallis, Ward 1 Councilwoman Beth Henley, Ward 3 Councilwoman Pamela Carter, Ward 5 Councilwoman JoAnne Moon, Ward 6 Councilman Rey Carrion and Ward 8 Councilman Joshua Thornsberry voted in favor; Ward 2 Councilman Rob McFarland, Ward 4 Councilman Greg Argenti and Ward 7 Councilman Cory Shawver voted against.

With two-year terms that are not staggered, Lorain in theory could have a new slate of city council members with every election, Dimacchia said.

Two-year terms work against stability in city government and is not enough time for council members to take on major issues, he said.

The turnover on council also may be confusing for voters if they are not sure who to approach with concerns.

That could happen because some residents may have a major issue only every three or four years, Dimacchia said.

In February, council filed a letter of opposition from Dan Given, former Lorain safety-service director who also was a 22-year city councilman.

Given said changing terms from two years to four “seems to be a purely self-serving move on behalf of someone elected to council to limit their need to touch the voters or to take a chance to be voted out of office every two years.

“In today’s day and age where the public is more upset with government office holders and have spoken about term limits and other limitation of continuous service, increasing an elected officials’ term is the opposite of what the public is asking for,” Given wrote. “Who does a longer term benefit more?

“Having an election every two years forces those running for a council seat to campaign and hear what the constituency is saying sooner or at least facing the public for their previous actions/ votes. Giving Lorain residents the option as to whom represents them regularly is important and an office holder should want for them to decide if their vote is worthy to be given to you.”

Dimacchia agreed council members must not wait for elections to get motivated to meet their constituents.

“You should be out there,” he said. “That’s part of our job, that’s the best part of our job.”

Council members must get out in the community getting to know people, Dimacchia said.

A council candidate has to be a people-person, and if the candidate is not, running for elected office is not the right job for them, he said.

Lorain’s executive officers — the mayor, auditor, treasurer and law director — all have four-year terms.

The Lorain City Charter Commission this year also discussed the council term of office.

The attorney working with the Charter Commission suggested making the term of office an issue separate from the charter, so council terms would not conflict with potential charter language.

For Issue 8, the ballot language states: “Shall the terms of office of the members of Lorain City Council be changed from two (2) years to four (4) years commencing as follows: i.) City Council members representing Wards 1, 3, 5, 7 and members representing Council at Large, shall serve a term of four (4) years commencing January 1, 2024. ii.)

“City Council members representing Wards 2, 4, 6, 8 and the President of Council shall serve a term of four (4) years commencing January 1, 2026.

“Shall the proposed resolution changing the term of office of City Council be adopted?”