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Writer's pictureAngie Charles

Charter Amendment: Issue 30

Voting About a Desk


The final charter amendment harkens back to the first one; it’s all about exerting control over the administration. Instead of allowing for administrative personnel to direct and oversee individual employees of the city, Council President Jeremy McIntire wants to codify exactly where the Clerk of Council should sit.


Yes, you read that right. Stow voters are being asked to vote on ONE SENTENCE to be added to our city Charter: The Clerk’s office shall be in City Hall, adjacent to the Council Chambers and the Clerk shall devote the time and effort as determined by Council during business hours, and such other times as are necessary, to properly conduct the business of City Council.


Would this require a company policy at your place of work? If you didn’t like where your secretary was sitting, would you ask the company CEO to change the company’s charter documents to include a policy directing where they should sit?


Or, in the case of an issue where someone was not doing their job, wouldn’t management go through the process of working with an individual or eventually firing them?


This is just absurd. And, it seems that part of the reason for this amendment was a mistaken notion on the part of McIntire that the council clerks did not have access to file cabinets in the basement of City Hall. Service Director Nick Wren corrected that notion, saying they did have keys.


So, ultimately, this boils down to a council president unwilling to pick up the phone to work out an employee issue with the appropriate party in the administration. Drafting a charter amendment for this and holding three council meetings to discuss it, was a colossal waste of council's time, when they could have spent that time rectifying the outdated compensation plan of some of our most valued city employees. Read how our fire chief and police chief haven't had merit raises in 15 years.


Requiring citizens to vote on a charter amendment just so you can tell someone to “go sit in that room and do your job” smacks of wanton hubris and a desire for needless control over the administration.


See council’s discussion about this charter amendment:

The legislation to create this charter amendment passed on a 5-2 vote with Council President Jeremy McIntire, Ward 2 Councilwoman Sindi Harrison, Ward 3 Councilman Brian Lowdermilk, Ward 4 Councilman Mario Fiocca and Ward 1 Councilman Matt Riehl voting for it; Councilmen At-Large David Licate and Cyle Feldman voted against.


We recommend that Stow voters reject Issue #30 and vote for City Council candidates who will work collaboratively with the mayor and his administration on issues of importance to our city and its residents.

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