MANSFIELD, Ohio – Democrat Don Bryant was officially sworn in as the new council member-at-large at Tuesday night’s Mansfield city council meeting. For Bryant’s first meeting, the council completed several pieces of legislation, most of them standard repeats from the previous year. However, on the first reading of Bill No. 14-286, 3rd Ward Councilman Jon Van Harlingen, asked to have the legislation explained.
The bill was an amendment to a previous ordinance allocating funds for emergency medical services of the Fire Department.
“I was just wondering where we’re going to take the money from, but I see that the finance director has some recommendations that answers quite a few of those questions. Has the chief had a chance to take a look at the director’s comments,” Van Harlingen asked.
Chief Steven Strickland said he had only just seen the notes prior to the meeting.
Van Harlingen explained that the way the bill was written it was locking in funds. “I was just concerned that we’re locking money in for capital outlay…and that’s a very broad term. I’d like to see something a little more specific with a little more wiggle room if we get into a financial situation like we got into here not too long ago.”
Finance Director Linn Steward addressed council and explained some of her recommendations for the current legislation allocating funds to the fire department.
“I think that we can try this and – the worst case scenario – we’d have to come back and amend it if financially it’s not possible,” Steward stated. She pointed out that the Mansfield Fire Department has brought in more than $1.5 million as an average each year and will have brought in a little more than that this past year.
She added, “We are tying in at least $75,000 towards capital and possibly more. One recommendation I have is that the language needs to be a little more restrictive so that it’s saved for fire engines, water trucks, pumpers and expansion of the fire station. It should be saved for these big ticket items.”
4th Ward Councilman Butch Jefferson admitted that he too wanted to get a better handle on the legislation. “It seems like I can’t get these things in committee meetings before they’re all out here on the floor.”
Council also discussed new committee assignments and Jefferson asked that council members let him know what committees they would like to serve on.
Councilman Mike Hill of the 1st Ward thanked Jefferson for giving council members a chance to pick the committees they would like to serve on. “I really appreciate that because we’ve never been – in the last several years – asked what we wanted to serve on. It was just assigned to us. “
Bryant voiced his desire to serve as the chairman of finance but Jefferson said that seniority would be a factor in the choosing of the next finance director.
