Does Newark Council have to stay in public view?

That’s the question behind the balloon sent up in today’s Advocate from Newark Ways and Means Committee. “Without additional funding, the future of televised Newark City Council meetings is uncertain,” the balloon said.

What city council is asking is: Do we have to remain in public view, or will citizens allow us to return to the shadows?

While council could easily provide television coverage of its meetings for very little investment, it continues to make it sound like a big challenge because it still searches for an out.

I wrote about the need for televised meetings many times before it happened. June 21, 2007 I wrote “Council ignores chance for opening government to citizens.” If you go there, you’ll also find links from 5/14/07 and 4/19/07 that give more background.

You’ll also find an off-putting statement by Councilman Uible about the prospect of Council’s coming into the sunshine, along with a statement from then-Council President Marc Guthrie urging Council to step out of the shadows with televised meetings.

More Newark politics as usual

Newark Mayor Bob Diebold is now proposing to eliminate one at-large councilman and require the other two to be residents of 1) east, and 2) west because, well, the 5th Ward is overloaded with at-large councilmen.

Such a move would tilt council in a way that Council President Guthrie could no longer function as a tie-breaker vote, thus burying an essential check on Newark government balance of power. It would also eliminate, as one of the mayor's personal bumps in the road, At-Large Councilman Rhodes.

Read the Advocate report here.

We do, indeed, need a professional city manager, not politics as usual.

Little lady impresses Joe

Marc Guthrie, Newark City Council president, shared this photo by e-mail several days ago of his granddaughter, Ansley, who caught the eye of vice-presidential candidate Biden when he was in Newark for a Democratic rally. She was on Marc's shoulders and Biden was "carrying on a conversation with her about how fun granddaughters are." Marc said. "The exchange was one-sided but it was awfully cute."

Yes, we do need a city manager

I am amazed at Mayor Diebold's lack of cool when he was cornered by the Advocate on the matter of undone employee evaluations - evaluations specified in his own written management policies.

That only 60 percent of city employees have been evaluated was questioned in a really fine piece of reporting by Amy Picard. The mayor's defense for such sloppy administration? That Council president is gunning for a couple top administrators.

Bloggers such as Rhonda4thWard in her May 18th Advocate blog entry have already thrashed Diebold for such a response and Mr. Guthrie, council president, has yet to kick the mayor's public patootie over this matter. When this settles out, there won't be many parts of him left to pick on, so I'm going to pass, sort of.

By now City Hall's resident guitarist must no longer believe - as he seemed to believe when he strummed himself into the mayor's office - that his is an easy job. Managing 335 employees can't be an easy task. But abiding by and enforcing one's own written policies should be a no-brainer in that management process.

Because the Mayor doesn't get that, his thorough lack of management skills has again been laid bare for citizens. It is one more example of how Newark is being managed by folks who aren't qualified for such a complex, intricate, and difficult task. Most are merely citizens-turned-vote-getters, folks who've never had to make business-management decisions, even on the simple level of employee evaluations.

This seems to be a good time to reminisce about a couple Tea Party pronouncements. One was that early in his mayoral career, I predicted that Mr. Diebold was already looking like a one-term mayor. Bloggers have since hinted that he may not last one term.

The other is that I said earlier how Newark desperately needs a city manager to do professional-level work.

This latest fiasco adds to the evidence for both statements.

Guthrie draws a line in the sand for Mayor Diebold

Congratulations to Marc Guthrie, president of Newark City Council, for confronting Mayor Bob Diebold - in a public meeting - about deception in communicating with council members.

It took courage and dedication to principles of honest government - and it was a welcome break from tradition - to say these things for the public to hear.

The deceptions named by Guthrie - regarding employee evaluations and misstatements about the status of a certain city employee position - weren't in themselves as important over the long haul as was this sort of public reprimand from City Council. It served as an announcement that this mayor isn't going to get away with behind-the-doors polishing on his version of the truth.

This, I believe, is part of what caught up with the previous mayor. Mr. Diebold is only in the first year as successor to that administration so he should be grateful to Guthrie for drawing a line in the sand this far ahead of the next election.

It could do the Diebold administration a world of good. Or maybe not.

Marc Guthrie takes the high road

Being truly honest and conscientious is not the easiest route to take when you hold an elected office. Ask Marc Guthrie, Newark City Council president, who chose yesterday to do the right thing instead of the easy thing.

When he broke from the crowd of good old boys who manage City Hall and talked to Newark citizens about the additional cost that would go with Mayor Diebold's plan to reorganize city jobs - and certain on-going costly practices - he put himself squarely in the middle of traffic. It would have been so much easier for him to go with the flow, sink back into the shadows of anonymity and let taxpayers remain uninformed, as is the tradition in governments at all levels.

Marc's statements on these matters were reported in the Advocate under the headline: Council president wary of Newark City Hall reorganization's costs and in Marc's Advocate column entitled City needs to do more to be a wise steward of taxpayers' money.

Is he correct in what he says about the wasteful biggerin' of government by the mayor (at a time when it can be least afforded) and about the excessive use of city cars by employees, and about use of public funds for a non-mandatory and far-away conference? Is his idea for merging divisions of traffic and streets something the city should seriously study as a way to provide more efficient use of money?

Marc is in the position to know about these things. When he speaks, those with less experience than he has - which would be pretty much everyone else in the City of Newark, including City Hall - should listen.

The mayor need not get defensive about mistakes that have been pointed out; we all make mistakes. He should be open about the problems Marc has mentioned and fix them.

Marc is doing what he is paid to do: looking out for the people he serves, rather than the people he serves with. By taking the high road - the more difficult road - maybe he can inspire others in City Hall to follow his lead, but don't count on it.

Marc is demonstrating what good government is all about and he deserves a high-five from taxpayers-voters.

Thoughts about Mary Lusk

I learned of the death of Mary Lusk, former mayor Newark, from an e-mail from Marc Guthrie, City Council president.

I am among those who knew Mary while she was mayor also had the opportunity to work with her on a few of her projects (at a time when I wasn't employed by a newspaper). I will always remember her with fondness and respect.

Marc summarized his feelings in a way that I - and many others - share. It's fitting just to let Marc say it here - for all of us.

"Few have been stronger advocates for our community than this wonderful woman. Mary has always had a deep concern for Newark and its residents.

"A few weeks ago when I visited Mary at Autumn Health Care, the first thing that she said to me was, 'Tell me, how are things at City Hall?' The well-being of her community, her family and her commitment to her faith were always paramount to Mary Lusk.

"Toward the end of her term as Mayor, Mary made a decision not to seek a second term as a Mayor of a City she loved, because of her love for her family.

"I will miss Mary’s friendship and her good counsel very much."

Local leaders need to be heard on political problems

Marc Guthrie, president of Newark City Council expressed, in a recent Advocate guest column, the frustration of being over-dosed on Presidential primaries.

Out-of-control and corrupt financing, coupled to endless talking heads often spewing hate and falsehoods - all in the name of choosing a president. He suggested a shorter primary season of two months as an improvement.

That, in my opinion, would be a great beginning. America needs to change the entire party system before it can have a better government - on all levels. And it takes public statements, particularly from local leaders like Marc, to get folks to think about our problems and what should be done.

We need more of that.

Security at City Hall

The killings during a council meeting at Kirkwood, MO on 2/7/08 has inspired some interest in security measures being taken at Newark City Hall. Channel 4 in Columbus interviewed Council President Marc Guthrie for his reaction.

Federal funds were used to install an emergency exit door and there's a direct wire from council chambers to the police department for emergency help.

The problem though is not just the protection of council members. It is a matter of security for all City Hall employees.

For that purpose, a metal detector was purchased with federal funds three years ago but it is still sitting in the lobby, unused - apparently because the city has nobody qualified to operate it, though $89,000 was appropriated for that purpose last year and $100,000 this year.

There's a saying about closing the barn door after the horses get out. Is that what we're waiting for?

City council makes a good beginning in '08

City Council turned an important corner last night when it voted to restrict the perks of the city safety director. By a vote of 8-2 it struck from the new budget the provision that was to pay driving expenses between Newark and Grove City, in a city vehicle purchased by safety-levy tax money.

The expense money was written into the budget in such a way that Kathleen Barch could replenish it at will from other funds in the service department budget. In other words, an open check book.

Most interesting to me was who among council members would take issue with this during the council session, if anybody, and who would vote to remove it, if anybody, and who continue to be a good ol' boy to Ms. Barch, if anybody.

Here's the way it went on the score sheet and this is one of those "read this before the next election" issues:

David Rhodes, at-large councilman, moved to eliminate the perk, and every council member except Don Ellington and John Uible voted for doing so. Voting in favor were Bubb, Kennedy, Houdeshell, Stare, Henderson, Marmie, and Floyd. President of council, Marc Guthrie, had earlier expressed concern over the benefit.

Also encouraging is the fact that the Advocate reporter, Amy Picard, cornered the two who voted against the measure and made them explain themselves. Ellington justified his vote, in part, by trying to blame Mayor Diebold (he "should have discussed it with Barch"); Uible said, in part, that "perks such as transportation are necessary for the best talent."

Further, the mayor did not speak against the council decision and that's a very good thing.

From out here where citizens sit, the score card looks great for 08. Council started by turning a corner. It has done what's right for taxpayers, rather than spend more tax money on employee perks. And the Advocate nailed it with a good report.

We need action, not political hype about the Sunshine Law

Whether or not the state Sunshine Law was violated by certain Newark City Council members is the subject of an Advocate report, "Meeting might have violated Sunshine Law," that said: "The February 2006 meeting at Kraner's New Albany office included David Rhodes, Doug Marmie and John Uible, who were and remain members of council's five-person Economic Development Committee. They also are chairmen of the Finance, Capital Improvements and Economic Development committees."

and ..

"Uible (said) the meeting was informational but Kraner briefly touched on some key issues for the future.

"I think he just mentioned he would want to talk to us about annexation of some of that land, particularly in the Newark School District, but we didn't talk a lot about that," Uible said. "He wanted to see if we would be supportive of this. He didn't want City Council opposing (what Kraner and administration wanted)."

The Advocate followed with an editorial "City's view of Sunshine Laws is a bit cloudy" which said "The city's law director disagrees but we believe a meeting between members of a Newark City Council committee and developer Bill Kraner was a clear violation of at least the spirit, and likely the letter, of the state's Sunshine Laws."

The city law director, Doug Sassen, responded to that with a guest column entitled: "Sunshine Law is taken seriously and applied liberally in Newark"

Mr. Sassen defended his inactivity regarding the meeting in question with this statement: "In the case of the February 2006 meeting with developer Williams Kraner referenced in the editorial, it is important to note that the law director's office, and presumably the Advocate as well, was not aware of the meeting until the summer of 2007, well more than one year later. As a result, the actual facts of what occurred at that meeting remain uncertain, hence the opportunity for reasonable minds to differ as to whether a violation of the Sunshine Law might have occurred.

"The editorial noted, 'majorities of any committee cannot gather for discussion of city business.' Because the facts are unclear, did we know then, and do we know now, whether 'city business' was 'discussed'?"

It is informative that Mr. Sassen never mentions in his rebuttal whether he actually asked anybody about the facts of this case. If he did, and if he got stonewalled, this would be significant. If he didn't ask anybody, then this is even more significant.

Mr. Sassen said, "... we are making every effort to ensure full compliance with both the letter and the spirit of the Sunshine Law by all members of City Council and the Administration." He never said what's changed, or going to change.

Mr. Sassen does, however, take great pains to make it seem as though he is partnering with Marc Guthrie in pursuit of open government. He says, for instance, "Marc and I work well together and have taken an aggressive, unified approach to safeguarding the right of public access to all public meetings." This is the first time I'd heard of such a partnership, and I would be interested in reading exactly what Mr. Sassen's contributions have been to such a partnership.

The New Albany thing is not going to go away by blowing smoke at it. Citizens want to know exactly what questions about this meeting were asked of whom. Citizens want to know why it seems impossible to get that information. Citizens want to know what's going to happen if the same thing occurs in the future. Citizens want to know what the law director intends to do about e-mailed cyber meetings.

More political hype doesn't get it. Citizens need the law director's specific plan for how he is going to ensure compliance with the Sunshine Law.

Guthrie as new commissioner?

Word from Marc Guthrie, newly elected as city council president, is that, no, he won't be jockeying for the county commissioner's seat being vacated by Marcia Phelps.

Marc remembers his two terms as commissioner back in the Don Hill era as rewarding and enjoyable, but for now he's hooked on the council presidency. He is, he said "highly honored and humbled that the people of Newark re-elected me to the post last week."

The question about the commissioner's chair arose, he said, because "I have been approached by some folks from both parties regarding the vacancy."

In a prepared statement, Marc had this to say ...

"It’s been thirty-three years since my first election and I’ve been honored to serve in nearly every level of government; however, I can’t imagine ever seeking elected office again outside of this community. I look forward to working in a bi-partisan manner with City Council and Mayor-elect Diebold toward building a better Newark for our children and grandchildren."

Followup to observation on Congressional boundaries

Marc Guthrie wrote in response to my question: "Where in the hell is the 12th District anyway?"

"The first 'dividing of Newark' occurred when I was in the Ohio House of Representatives. I voted 'no' and spoke against it, but it was approved over my objections. It was an outrage then and it still is. Newark has little clout and will likely never have a member of Congress from our community as a result of those lines."

One citizen's perspective on the 11/6/07 ballot

Newark City Schools- Additional levy of 4.5 mills. No. Squeeze the fat and live with it, as I am doing as a private citizen trying to pay my own expenses. Schools' unwillingness to limit spending while placing the penalty for that on property owners is both irresponsible and foolish. The longer it goes on the more ill will schools are making for themselves.

City Charter Amendment - No. This issue would fine tune the way in which council presidents' and council members' vacancies are filled, which would be okay. But it also increases from $20,000 to $25,000 the minimum at which competitive bidding is required. Competitive bidding causes our government employees more work, but gee whiz, competitive bidding saves tax dollars. Government bidding process should kick in at $5,000, not at $25,000 as this amendment would have it.

Municipal Court Clerk - Marcia Phelps. As a public servant Marcia gets an A+ for trying to do things right. And of the three county commissioners, she is the only one I would hate to see leave. But Marcia wants the clerk's job and she's earned it.

Newark Mayor - Diebold because, well, for two reasons.

Newark City Council President - Marc Guthrie because Marc has done an excellent job leading oftentimes difficult compatriots. He's smart, experienced, non-partisan, and most of all he's honest and open. He's come down on what I consider to be the wrong side of a few issues, but stuff happens, and maybe we can educate him. Anyway, Marc has the mark of a good future mayor.

Council At Large - Frank Stare and Ryan Bubb. Frank because he was a good mayor and he would be a good councilman. Anyway, if he is convicted on the soliciting charge and has to leave council his election would nevertheless be good news for non-partisan politics. (I wrote about that possibility here.) Ryan because he's not Irene Kennedy or David Rhodes, but you have three choices, so flip a coin.

Council Seventh Ward - Carol Floyd. I know her as good people from her days as a teacher. Let's see if she can rise above the political crap and the good ol' boys of City Council and aggressively represent the Seventh Ward. Her opponent, Ronald Mitchell Sr., has been impressive in his campaign statements so I think for the first time in many years the Seventh Ward is going to have good representation, no matter which candidate wins.

What happens if Frank Stare wins the election?

Speculation is bubbling about whether the accusation of soliciting against council candidate Frank Stare will kill his voter support.

What if it doesn't, and what if he wins the election, and then is found guilty of the charge?

My understanding is that he would be forced off council and the Democrats would appoint his replacement. If Stare wins, there is a 5-5 tie between Democrats and Republicans, and Marc Guthrie, council president, ends up as tie-breaker, and that would be very very healthful for the way council conducts its business.

Doug Marmie writes convincingly for re-election of Guthrie

The best campaign speech is none at all, as Doug Marmie proved in yesterday's Advocate essay headlined "Non-partisan elections may not have the consequences intended."

Doug couldn't have written a better campaign speech for Guthrie.

His thesis: "citizens of Newark deserve ... bipartisan politics." Sure, Doug.

Now you have joined some other city officials who proved in print how aloof and disassociated they are from constituents who are so sick of party politics they could puke.

From all the info I've seen about Doug's work on council, nobody is more bipartisan than he.

Nor is there anyone less bipartisan than his opponent for the office of council president - and that would be Marc Guthrie who has urged the removal of party influence over council decisions, and is using that as a main plank in his re-election platform.

You have to wade through Mr. Marmie's convoluted line of reasoning and see if you can figure out why he's trying to justify intensifying the war zone in council chambers between Democrats and Republicans.

Or maybe you'd rather just skip to the bottom line: "I plan to create the bipartisan atmosphere by my leadership actions."

Even if Guthrie weren't an otherwise competent, highly experienced, and conscientious council leader, Mr. Marmie's bottom line should be enough to put Marc back in office.

Susan's Law

Until I talked with Bill Verkest, husband of the late Susan Verkest, I wasn't aware Newark has something called "Susan's Law."

This refers to sexual offender legislation that City Council approved last year. "Susan worked very hard to get Council to adopt the legislation and deserves a great deal of credit," said Marc Guthrie, council president.

Bill is passing out bumper stickers like the one reproduced above, and encouraging the spread of "Susan's Law" to other communities.

He also wrote of Susan's work to John Walsh, who produces "America's Most Wanted" television program.

Walsh wrote back to Bill, and said, in part:

"I truly wish I would have had the chance to meet such an amazing lady and congratulate her for all the good she has done on behalf of women and children.

"It is people like Susan Verkest that truly make this world a better place. Susan took what I say every Saturday night on America 's Most Wanted "you can make a difference" and truly did.

Bill (whose e-mail address is: wverkestsr@yahoo.com) also passes out cards that say: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

On the flip side it says: "Susan Verkest."

City Council president urges switch to non-partisan government

Marc Guthrie, city council president, has suggested a change by city government to non-partisan political status. The Tea Party has archived his essay here.

There is no question in my mind that partisan politics is detrimental to effective service by city employees.

Under-the-table allegiance to political parties and/or political cronies really does influence decisions that affect the public purse. It's unfair and infantile, but is ingrained in Newark government's code of conduct.

It needs to be changed as Marc suggests, but to do so will require the help of citizen-voters. Therefore, I am not optimistic.

Lethargic Charter Review Commission meets - sort of

The Columbus Dispatch reported today that Newark Charter Review Commission didn't have time to review suggested charter changes in time for its meeting June 28.

Members had only three months to prepare.

But even if time were not a problem, shiftlessness would have won anyway: Only two of the five members - Richard Burgie and C. Herbert Koehler - bothered to attend. Commission members Cheri Hottinger, Robert Handelman and Kurt Harden did not, even though the commission's recommendations were due to council by tomorrow's meeting.

Among the most important matters that might have been discussed was the conversion of city council to non-partisan status, at the request of Council President Marc Guthrie.

From the Dispatch report, nothing was done by the two commissioners who showed up for the meeting except explain to the five individuals in the audience what could have been considered and why it wasn't.

As for the commission's appearance in council chambers Monday, "we'll tell them we haven't had time to do the job," Burgie said. "It will be up to them what to do."

Maybe start again with members who give a damn?

Guthrie writes about open government

Newark City Council President Marc Guthrie reemphasizes his traditional stance on open governenment in a column written for The Advocate which has been reproduced as a web page here. Please give it a serious read because every citizen has a stake in the outcome.