COLUMBIANA COUNTY Salem fireman's wife plans appeal over signs

Council could still scuttle two ballot issues backed by the fire department.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
SALEM -- The wife of a Salem firefighter plans to file an unfair campaign complaint today about political signs that deal with the proposed formation of a fire district.
Stephanie Ritchie, the wife of firefighter Lance Ritchie, said Tuesday she would file the complaint with state elections officials in Columbus.
She is concerned about signs she said have appeared in the city in the last few days that oppose two initiative petitions placed on the Nov. 2 ballot.
Council has negotiated an agreement with Perry Township to create a joint fire district to save money. The city's full-time and the township's volunteer department would be eliminated.
The ballot issues
The fire department has put two issues on the ballot. If approved by voters, they would require public votes on any city plans to eliminate the fire department or create a joint fire district.
The contract has not been completed or made public. Council has estimated that the move could save about $700,000 a year.
Ritchie said signs recently appeared urging people to vote no on the issues. One version indicated the fire district will save $600,000.
"That can't be substantiated," Ritchie said.
State law requires that campaign signs carry information that can be confirmed, she said.
Ritchie said she hoped the state can act quickly to get the signs down. She said she did not have much information about the group that had erected the signs.
Some signs, she said, urge a no vote but do not mention the figure. Those are not in question, she said. City fire department supporters have erected vote yes signs throughout the city.
Ritchie told council the initiative petitions aren't for or against the proposed district but will give the public the right to vote on it.
Labor negotiations
The fire department and street and utility department workers are in negotiations with the city. Council went behind closed doors for 90 minutes to meet with their attorney for an update on the talks. There is a tentative agreement with utility workers, but no details were released.
Council set a special session for next Wednesday for more contract talks.
Council also changed its regular meeting from Nov. 2, which is Election Day, to Nov. 1.
Nancy Cope, chairwoman of the council's committee of the whole, said the committee would have to meet and vote to bring up the fire district pact Nov. 1.
Cope said that whether the committee will schedule a meeting will depend on how negotiations go next week. Adoption of the contract could make the initiative petitions moot even if voters approve them.
Cope noted during the meeting that the fire department has spent $96,000 in overtime so far this year.
Council voted, however, to repeal an ordinance that made the police department the initial responders to medical calls instead of the fire department. The move was designed to cut down on large responses to minor calls. Firefighters were critical of the ordinance, saying it jeopardized the public.
Under the revised plan, the police dispatcher will call for a private ambulance service and then notify the fire department.
Phone calls for help made directly to the fire department will be relayed to the police department before the fire department responds.
wilkinson@vindy.com