YOUNGSTOWN Panel to 'aggressively' campaign

By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The charter review commission will campaign for passage of the six proposed charter amendments on the November ballot, then remain in business to tackle other issues before it, according to commission Chairman William Carter.
"We will aggressively move forward from now until Election Day to try to get some publicity on the charter changes that'll be on the ballot," Carter said at Thursday's commission meeting.
City Law Director John A. McNally IV presented the commission with the simplified and condensed ballot language prepared by the Mahoning County Board of Elections for the six proposed amendments. In summary form, they are:
Shall the charter be amended to:
URequire the mayor to be a resident elector in the city for the five years immediately preceding his election?
UReduce the minimum age for city council members from 25 to 21?
UAllow city council to meet in executive (closed) session as permitted by state law?
UPay the mayor and law and finance directors biweekly instead of monthly?
UDelete references to land at Lake Milton which the city no longer owns?
UEliminate gender-specific language?
Available to public
The full text of the proposed charter amendments will be printed before Election Day as a legal advertisement in The Vindicator and made available on paper on Election Day at each polling place in the city for those who want to refer to it before they vote, McNally said.
In a July 31 letter, Mayor George M. McKelvey asked the commission, which was to expire this year, to remain convened until Jan. 1, 2005. Their next meeting will be at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 13 in council's caucus room.
Carter said the commission has at least 16 or 17 additional potential charter amendments to consider beyond the six on November's ballot.
The issues before the commission include term limits for city officeholders, the pay of council members, the status and role of the now-dormant civilian police review board, whether to have council and the mayor select park board members, and how to ensure diversity among city workers and contractors, he said.
McNally said Michael Sciortino, Mahoning County elections director, told him he believes additional proposed charter amendments can be put on any primary or general election ballot at no cost to the city.
McNally said he'd seek a written statement about this from him or the county prosecutor's office, which represents the elections board.
Any proposed charter changes recommended by the commission must be placed on the ballot by city council at least 60 days before Election Day, McNally said.
Carter said he wanted to keep all council members, including new ones who will take office Jan. 1, abreast of the commission's activities.