BUCYRUS-Bucyrus Mayor Jeff Reser has vetoed the hiring of the new City Council Clerk. He sent the following letter out to the members of the Council yesterday explaining why.

“After much discussion and consultation, I have decided to veto the above-listed Ordinances for the following reasons:

The city lawyer has traditionally written all legislation. The Law Director’s office is fully qualified and trained to write legislation, whereas the council president is not trained to write legislation.

I don’t understand why the Law Director’s office was not allowed to write this legislation as it has been the proper procedure throughout history. Consultation with the law office is not the same as having the Law Director write the legislation. Bypassing the Law Director’s office sets a dangerous and unnecessary precedent for Bucyrus city government.

I also strongly object to the reduction in hours for the Council Clerk position. Tradition has shown that a forty-hour workweek is required for this position, and there is no valid reason at this time to reduce the clerk’s hours.

The addition of a “personal assistant” is a waste of taxpayer funds and should be rejected by all council members who represent those taxpayers. In my research, I have not been able to find a single Council President throughout the State of Ohio who has a “personal assistant.” This position has no rational benefit for the citizens of Bucyrus. In addition, council members would have no authority to oversee the hiring, firing or setting the pay rate for this position.

I also object to the pay scale that has been approved by city council members for the “personal assistant” position. Do you realize that this position can pay more ($23.50 per hour) than almost all members of our city departments, including some of our Safety forces? Is that what you think an eight-hour-per-week personal assistant should make? This is a direct insult to all the veteran city workers who have given many years of service to the city and do not make $23.50 per hour.

I ask all council members to uphold this veto and stand up for the taxpayers of Bucyrus, restoring the Council Clerk position to a 40-hour workweek. Please debate these questions that need to be addressed, and please do it in the light of how these ordinances would affect the citizens of Bucyrus as well as our city workforce.

City Council President Kurt Fankhauser sent out an email stating that “If the Mayor veto’s Ord 16-2021 and 17-2021 today will be no Regular Council Meeting on 6/15/21 and no Joint Regular Committee Meetings on 6/17/2021. Enough council members have told me they don’t plan on attending those meetings to effectively make the meetings not able to be held due to lack of quorum.”

 

Fankhauser has not made an official statement on the status of the upcoming meetings. The Council President did send an email to the local media explaining his position on the hiring of the new council clerk.

“I am writing this letter to clear up some misconception that has been circulating regarding the proposed Manpower and Billet changes regarding the Council Clerk and Council President Clerk.

Council wanted a second part-time person in the council office 8 hours a week to help assist the full-time council clerk and be there for times when the normal clerk would not be available. Since Bucyrus is not a Charter City the only position granted by Ohio Revised Code to Council to appoint is the full-time clerk. Any additional employees in that office fall under ORC 733.01 “Executive Power in Cities” which states that only the Mayor, President of Council, auditor, treasurer, director of law, and director of public service & safety has the exclusive authority to appoint all officers, clerks, and employees in their respective departments.

Years ago there was a 2nd person in the council office to help the full-time clerk. Because of the nature of the office, it is most appropriate for the Council President to be the executive officer of the city that appoints that position and not any of the other executive officers of the city. There is no reason that the city administration should be appointing an employee in the council office just like the Council should not be appointing any of the clerks in the Mayor or service director’s office.

This is costing the city NO ADDITIONAL MONEY to have the 2nd person as the hours are being balanced out to be the exact same. (32 + 8 = 40 hours). Galion’s Council Clerk only works 32 hours and is a similar-sized city to Bucyrus. The new council clerk showed a willingness to be hired in at 32 hours instead of 40 hours and actually works out better for her on Fridays because of other obligations she has anyways.

I hope this clears up any confusion as to why Council voted to do what they did with Ord 16-2021 and 17-2021.”

 

The Ohio Revised Code Section 731.27, states that Council may reconsider the legislation ten days after the veto is announced. To override the Mayor’s veto would require a two-thirds majority vote of the council.
The next scheduled Bucyrus City Council meeting is Tuesday, June 17 at 6 p.m.