McNally appoints 7 to new charter review commission

YOUNGSTOWN

Mayor John A. McNally appointed seven residents to a charter review committee to come up with recommendations for voters to consider during the November general election.

The committee will begin meeting in a few weeks, said Christopher Travers, appointed by McNally as the committee’s chairman.

McNally said he would like the committee to make about three to six proposals to change the city’s charter, but what its members decide is up to them.

The mayor added he “wouldn’t like to see 17 recommendations like the last time. It’s important they come up with a smaller set of recommendations.”

McNally was referring to the 2012 committee that made 17 recommendations. City council, which ultimately decides how many of the committee’s proposals get on the ballot, accepted only four in 2012, and two of those four were changed by council.

Travers, president of the 7th Ward Citizens Coalition, said he doesn’t know how many recommendations the committee will make.

But he praised the 2012 committee.

“The previous committee did a yeoman’s job of looking at the charter,” Travers said. “Thirteen of their proposals were not put on the ballot in 2012. There were some essential things that were unfinished that never saw the ballot. But how we’re going to attack those will be determined by the committee when we get together.”

Read who else is on the committee and what the 2012 committee