CAMPBELL Charter proposals OK'd for ballot
Ten charter amendments will be on the Nov. 7 general election ballot.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
CAMPBELL -- City officials are unanimously against a proposed amendment to the Campbell City Charter that would eliminate the minimum staffing requirement in the police department.
The proposal is one of 10 put forward by the Charter Review Commission that will be voted on at the Nov. 7 general election.
Council voted unanimously to direct the Mahoning County Board of Elections to place the proposed amendments on the ballot. Most are language changes that didn't raise comment at Wednesday's city council meeting.
However, council members, Mayor John Dill, Police Chief Gus Sarigianopoulos and Law Director Brian J. Macala all adamantly oppose the change.
Objections
At present, the charter gives council the authority to establish the number of full-time police officers, exclusive of the chief, within a minimum of 16 and a maximum of 18. The proposed change eliminates the minimum number.
There are a couple of problems with the proposed amendment, said Dill. First, the police chief has determined, with crime on the rise, that at least 16 officers are needed to fully staff all shifts.
Second, Dill said the police department has gone out of its way to cooperate with the city during its state-designated fiscal emergency by agreeing to not enforce the 16-officer minimum and allow the city to use more part-time officers to save money. At present, the department has 11 full-time officers, one of whom is on sick leave.
Dill said he understands that the charter review commission was trying to give council more latitude in controlling expenses during fiscal emergencies.
"We have a good police department and a good relationship with it," Dill said.
If approved, the amendment might make the police less cooperative in future contract talks, Dill said. The city's current contract with its police, represented by Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 42, expires at the end of the year.
alcorn@vindy.com