Councilman proposes reducing number of ward council members by three

By Ed Runyan | April 22, 2015 at 12:00a.m.

WARREN

Councilman John Brown Jr. says he expects opposition from fellow council members to legislation he has proposed reducing the number of ward council members from seven to four.

So, if his fellow council members won’t approve the legislation he’s proposing, he’s prepared to help others circulate petitions containing about 800 signatures that would be needed to put it on the ballot without council’s approval.

“I would like to see this on the November ballot one way or the other,” said Brown, D-3rd.

His purpose for sponsoring the legislation is to cut costs because of the potential the city will run a deficit of as much as $1 million by the end of the year, he said.

Each council member earns $11,110 annually plus some fringe benefits, so he would like to see the money used to hire a police officer or firefighter, he said.

The legislation, which would require approval by two-thirds of the current 10-member council, is likely to receive its first reading at the council meeting tonight.

Warren is a statutory city, meaning it operates under a set of laws established about 100 years ago that call for seven ward council members, three at-large council members and a council president.

But Brown says Ohio Revised Code allows a council or citizen referendum to ask voters to change the number of council members.

Many Ohio cities larger than Warren have fewer council members, such as Dayton, which has 141,000 residents and five voting members — four commissioners and the mayor. Warren has 41,557 residents.

Columbus has 787,000 residents and seven council members. Cincinnati has 296,000 residents and nine members, he said, adding that most of those have a charter form of government.

“This is financially driven,” Brown said. “We can be just as effective at a reduced rate of council members,” he said. Townships such as Austintown, Boardman and Howland have large populations and only three voting trustees, he said. Austintown has 29,677 residents, Boardman has 35,376, and Howland has 19,106.

Another reason to reduce the wards is to equalize the number of residents in each ward since they are out of balance, he said.