Mayor and park commission exchange heated words

YOUNGSTOWN — There’s a war of words between Mayor Jay Williams, who wants an overhaul of the park and recreation commission, and commission members, who oppose the plan.

In a letter sent Tuesday to city council, the commission members wrote they were “caught completely off guard” by Williams’ recent formal request seeking council’s permission for the amendment to be on the Nov. 6 ballot to change the agency’s operational structure.

“This ‘rush to judgment’ is the least responsible approach to this proposed charter amendment, as it does not allow for careful consideration of potential impacts on the operations of the commission and/or the city at large,” the commission members wrote.

In a Wednesday letter to the commission, Williams fired back writing the members’ response to the proposal shows they “fail to grasp the essence of the amendments; efficiency, effectiveness and most importantly, accountability.”

Williams also wrote there was no rush to judgment as “these issues have been discussed and debated for over a decade. Nobody who has been paying attention to the issues surrounding the park and recreation commission for the past several years should have been ‘caught off guard.’”

Williams also wrote that the way the members operate the commission can lead some to wonder if they have the “capacity to operate in a responsible manner.”

For the complete story, read Friday’s Vindicator or vindy.com