Committee appointments and proposed staffing changes in the law director’s office sparked heated discussion at Mansfield City Council on Tuesday night. During executive session council also discussed the fact finder’s report on the Fraternal Order of Police negotiations. Council did vote unanimously to accept the report. A second executive session was called to discuss the potential implications of the Director Spon’s proposal.
One bill, 13-343 wasn’t hotly debated, but it’s unanimous passage with bipartisan support is considered a significant victory for opponents of fracking and supporters of local control in government. In another unanimous decision council voted not to renew the liquor permit for Lu Lu’s Bar & Grill on Orange Street.
Tuesday marked the swearing in of Councilman Jon Van Harlingen, a Democrat, elected to replace Scott Hazen, a Republican. This shift has concerned many as it creates a democratic super-majority on Mansfield City Council.
Currently one third of the council members are Republicans, however one-fourth of the proposed committee appointments were Republicans.
Assistant Law Director Chris Brown explained, “This is an ordinance, so in reality whatever council passes, will hold as far as the composition of these committees. In theory, not to play one side against the other, but you could have every committee all one party and if council passes it, and knows what that composition is, it could potentially pass. But you have to remember that you are beholden to your constituents and so I think you should look at what they would consider is fairly balanced. In the end, it would be the ordinance that is passed that would dictate the composition of those committees.”
“The bottom line is that we keep saying we’re gonna work together,” said councilwoman Pat Hightower. Councilwoman Ellen Haring suggested that adding four Republican committee members would create a balance more in line with the elected representation. Upon the suggestion of Councilman Mike Hill council, with three members dissenting, council chose to send the bill back to committee before voting on the measure.
Director Spon submitted bill 13-341 proposing changes within his department. He hoped to change the assistant law director position to include responsibilities of decision making authority in the absence of the law director, as well as adjust the salary range for the position. Additionally, he sought to adjust the salary range of an existing employee serving as an office manager, thus shifting her position to a higher pay grade.
City employee and union member Judy Jamison took issue with this proposal. She questioned whether the duties of the employee in question were, in fact, managerial, as well as asserting that her own department bears a greater workload than the law director’s office, all the while employees have not had raises in years. Jamison’s assertion is that the proposed reclassification is tantamount to a pay raise.
“I’m not the only one who is appalled by this. The city is in fiscal emergency. Hello, the law director wants salary increases? The citizens passed a levy in good faith, they would be appalled if this would pass,” said Jamison.
Director Spon asserted that the employee in question is doing the work of a manger, but is not classified and paid as such, furthermore he believes that employees with similar positions in the city are typically male and are more likely to be classified as managers and paid accordingly.
“I believe that women should be paid just like men,” said Spon. “The issue is whether or not this person, who just so happens to be a woman, should be entitled to the title of manager, just in the same way as all the other managers in the city, who I believe are all men; and that’s something that I hope council will consider.”
Assistant Law Director Brown suggested that there could be the potential of litigation if the adjustment were not made and suggested that council move to executive session to discuss it further. After executive session the bill was amended to adjust the salary range, but not the title or responsibilities of the assistant law director position and to make no changes to the office manager position. The amended bill passed unanimously.
Council also unanimously passed 13-343, which is a resolution strongly opposing Ohio House Bill 277. The measure would take away a large measure of local control in the event that the city would wish to annex adjoining property. Recently the city annexed property to build the new Chipotle Restaurant that will be located on SR-13, and hopes to be able to continue in such business-friendly efforts.
Local control was also a motivation behind the unanimous bipartisan support for bill 13-343, a resolution supporting Ohio House Bill 148 which will prohibit the disposal of brine by deep well injection in the State of Ohio. Brine is a waste product produced by hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking.
Community organizer Bill Baker commended council, “The work that this council did across party lines is one of the things that Mansfield is admired for when I visit other communities–the way that this council and city government came together on the injection well issue. You took a hard look at the facts and worked to create a safe environment for our community, and it doesn’t happen a lot in politics and I thank you for that.”
“I believe that women should be paid just like men,” said Spon. “The issue is whether or not this person, who just so happens to be a woman, should be entitled to the title of manager, just in the same way as all the other managers in the city, who I believe are all men; and that’s something that I hope council will consider,” said Director Ron Spon.
