MANSFIELD — Republican Stephanie Zader expressed her displeasure with her Democratic colleagues regarding new Mansfield City Council committee assignments on Tuesday evening.
The At-large council member, who retained her seat during the Nov. 2 election, said decisions made regarding committees, council clerks and the president pro-temp should made when the new council begins in January.
“I feel that this should have been saved for the new council, considering that this would be new members of council taking seats that will be impacted by this,” said Zader.
Among voting members of City Council, Democrats hold a 5-3 majority now and will hold the same advantage in January when Rev. El Akuchie, a Republican, and Aurelio Diaz, a Democrat join the local legislative body.
The Democrats on council met in caucus on Nov. 11 and decided committee chairs and members for 2022-2023, placing their members atop nine of council’s 12 standing committees.
Diaz attended the meeting, which was conducted at Richland County Party Democratic headquarters.
“I think that the continuous shuffling of committees that has happened this year is a blatant abuse of power to be frank,” Zader said. “I do not agree with this and I will be voting ‘no’ if it’s not postponed.”
Democrats in February changed some committee chairs in February after 5th Ward council member Jason Lawrence changed his political affiliation to Republican.
Lawrence, who was defeated in November by Diaz in his bid for re-election, labeled the move “purely political” at the time after he was removed as chair of the public utilities committee and streets committee.
Democrat Alomar Davenport, who represents the 4th Ward, said the meeting on Nov. 11 was attended by the Democrats who will be on City Council in 2022.
“I just want to make a note that the five people who were in the room, who made the decisions for the standing committees, are the five people who will be on council in January 2022,” Davenport said.
3rd Ward representative Jon Van Harlingen, who was defeated by Akuchie last month, attended the caucus, but did not participate in the decision-making process.
Zader maintained her objection, though City Council approved all of the appointments. Lawrence joined Zader on Tuesday in voting against the committee assignments.
“I don’t agree with the way this was handled. I also feel that this was purely political, as was the last decision of the reorganization of the committees,” Zader said.
“I think that if we looked at the composition of council and we appointed the committees based on who is qualified to be on those committees, then there would be different appointments,” Zader said.
The only committees that will be chaired by Republicans in January are claims (Zader), public utilities (1st Ward representative Laura Burns, who also retained her seat in the November election), and rules (also Burns).
Democrats will chair the other nine: airport (At-large member Phil Scott), economic development (6th Ward member Kimberly Moton), employee relations (Moton), finance (Davenport), parks & recreation (2nd Ward member Cheryl Meier), public affairs (Davenport), safety (Scott), streets (Diaz) and zoning (Meier).
Akuchie will be the only member of City Council who will not chair a committee in 2022-2023.
Also on Tuesday, City Council:
— gave a second read to the 2022 temporary spending plan. The proposal, scheduled to be voted on Dec. 21, includes a $31 million general fund, a 1.4-percent increase over 2021. A final budget for 2022 must be approved by March 31.
— approved spending $18,301 for a new alarm system for the police training facility being planned near Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport.
— approved a 2022 street resurfacing plan that would repave 26.16 miles of roads in 2022, with an estimated price tag of $5.3 million.
— approved the annual renewal of an $86,818 software maintenance agreement with Superion, LLC, which provides computer-aided dispatch, records management and other technical support for the Mansfield Police Department.
— approved selection of Scott to be council president pro-temp for 2022.
— approved keeping Amy Yockey as Clerk of Council and Delaine Weiner as assistant clerk of council.
— approved the reappointment of City Council President David Falquette for another two-year term on the Historic Preservation Committee.
— approved demolition of properties at 96 S. Willis Ave., 99 Wood St., 144 Glessner Ave., 282 Sheridan Ave., 420 Wayne St. and 615 Lida St.
–approved spending $86,675 for a new 2022 F550 truck for the water department.
— voted to seek and accept an $11,000 grant for recycling and litter prevention from the Richland County Solid Waste Management Authority. The grant helps to fund the salary of Kim Hildreth, program coordinator for the city.
— voted to approve a request to vacate a portion of Maplewood Drive near Springbook Drive, a move proposed by nearby property owners.
