Put-in-Bay Government In Need Of Overhaul
It just might be the right time to change the Put-in-Bay Government. The Village of Put-in-Bay has been operating under the Ohio Revised Code in the form of government called the “Federal Plan”. 705.71 Federal plan – elective officers. The form of government provided in sections 705.71 to 705.86, inclusive of the Revised Code, shall be known as the “federal plan.” In municipal corporations such as the Put-in-Bay Government adopting such a plan, the only elective officers shall be the mayor and members of the council.
This plan elects a mayor of Put-in-Bay and council members, with the elected mayor managing the administrative functions of the village and the council members being the group making and passing ordinances and rules by which the town of Put-in-Bay Government will abide by.
The issue with this form of government is that it often leads to contention between the mayor and council since each group struggles over and is often confused by who has certain powers or doesn’t always understand how to interact and function properly. Simply put, dividing powers and duties creates inefficiency in the Put-in-Bay Government.
Add the further concern that, at times managerial abilities of elected mayors are not always their best attribute. They generally come into office with an agenda in mind. Once in office, it becomes highly difficult and costly to remove a mayor when management, shortcomings, or misalignment of their agenda does not match with the community goals and desires
Now consider a form of Put-in-Bay Government called a “City Manager Plan”. 705.51 City manager plan. The form of government provided in sections 705.51 to 705.60, inclusive of the Revised Code, to be known as the “city manager plan,” shall consist of a council of five or more citizens, according to the population of the municipal corporation as determined by the last preceding federal census, who shall be elected at large. The council shall constitute the governing body of such municipal corporation with the power to:
(A) Pass ordinances;
(B) Adopt resolutions;
(C) Appoint a chief administration officer, to be known as the Put-in-Bay city manager;
(D) Approve all appointments made by the city manager, except as provided in sections 705.01 to 705.92, inclusive, of the Revised Code; (E) Fix all salaries;
(F) Appoint a civil service commission and all boards or commissions created by ordinance.
The elected position formally recognized as a mayor becomes an appointed position. This creates the opportunity to hire an individual whose interest lies in the management of the Put-in-Bay Government and not politics or agenda. The City Manager Plan would provide the opportunity to vet applicants and determine and decide on appropriate management of the village of Put-in-Bay. A poor selection can easily be removed and replaced. This may well have prevented the damage done by the previous chief of Police fired Ric Lampella, and the rouge Put-in-Bay Police Officer who was arrested by the Ottawa County Sherrif Steve Korossy.
0 Comments