YOUNGSTOWN Two charter issues slated for council

A police civilian review board is under study.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- City council will consider proposed charter amendments to abolish term limits for city officials and to abolish council aides and raise council members' salaries.
John McNally, city law director, said he expects these issues to go before council at its special meeting July 21. If council approves, the questions will go before the voters Nov. 2.
The charter review commission voted 7-1 Thursday for an amendment to abolish the aide positions, which have typically been filled by a spouse or other family member of each council member, and to pay council members the same $27,800 annual salaries the aides currently receive. The council president would get $28,100 under the proposal.
Currently, annual compensation is $600 for council members and $900 for the council president.
Objection to measure
The sole dissenter on the commission was Laureen Scahill, who noted that Canton and Parma, whose populations are comparable to Youngstown's, pay their council members $15,000 and $14,000 a year, respectively. Their part-time council members do not have aides, she said.
"I just felt that that's what Youngstown should be doing. We are not in a very good financial situation, and we should be cutting costs wherever possible," she said.
But Mayor George McKelvey told the commission it would be unrealistic to expect council members to approve abolishing the aide positions and simultaneously approve what would amount to a major income cut for their households.
"If you send a recommended amendment to city council cutting their salaries 50 percent, and you think it's going to see the light of day on the ballot, it's not," the mayor told the commission.
The charter review commission unanimously approved sending to council a proposed amendment that would abolish the eight-year term limits that now apply for the mayor, council president and council members, effective Jan. 1, 2007.
The commission, which is considering a charter amendment to create a civilian police review board, asked that McNally further study such boards, specifically those operating in Cincinnati and Cleveland.
McNally was also asked to research whether such an amendment would supersede current police labor contracts or have any authority over future contract negotiations.
The commission's next meeting will be at 4:30 p.m. July 15 in the city council caucus room.