POLITICS IN PICKERINGTON
Councilman no longer feels isolated
By Kirk D . Richards THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Pickerington City Councilman Michael Sabatino expected to be the odd man out this year.
Long on the losing side of votes, Sabatino saw one of his allies, William Wright, lose at the ballot. Another, Doug Parker, didn?’t seek re-election.
And all three newcomers campaigned in support of a slow-growth vision advocated by his political rivals: the council majority and Mayor David Shaver.
But instead of Sabatino?’s minority voice being muffled, as he had feared, he is enjoying more cooperation than ever. He gets along with Brian Wisniewski, who became council president this year.
The shift is reflected in the council voting record.
By mid-April of last year, Sabatino had abstained 55 times, often in protest of council policies.
This year, Sabatino has abstained just 18 times.
He still has philosophical differences with his colleagues ?— he is the only council member this year to vote against a proposal, recording 25 nay votes.
But this year, Sabatino says he and his colleagues can have professional differences of opinion without getting personal.
Meanwhile, some of the council members who supported the mayor are distancing themselves from him, saying he is too harsh on employees.
Council members Ted Hackworth and Wisniewski said the mayor also has yelled at them, although Shaver describes those exchanges as a give and take in which the councilmen shouted back.
Sabatino used to refer to his council colleagues as ''The Shaverettes.'' Today, he calls the council ''a cohesive group.''
And Sabatino sees the shift as having a direct effect on the legislation that is proposed.
''The mayor doesn?’t have four automatic votes anymore,'' Sabatino said.
For instance, Shaver is asking the council to support a joint economic development agreement with Violet Township.
''I have no intention of shoving that legislation through,'' Wisniewski said. ''It?’ll be a slow, methodical process.''
Wisniewski is agreeing to Shaver?’s request for a charter review committee. And that could lead the council to accept a couple of Sabatino?’s ideas that his colleagues dismissed last year.
One is to create a ward system in which the city would be carved into four sections that would each have a council representative, with three others elected at large.
Sabatino also wants to change the charter to place the city manager under the direction of council instead of the mayor. Proposed charter changes can be placed on the ballot if at least five of the seven council members approve.
''Those are things that have merit,'' Wisniewski said of Sabatino?’s ideas.
''Nothing is untouchable and nothing will get automatically discredited.''
Sabatino also is satisfied with his colleagues?’ promise that they will revisit the issue of hiring economic-development consultants who also work for neighboring Canal Winchester. Sabatino questions which community would be the consultants?’ priority if the towns were competing for the same project.
''I can?’t emphasize enough what a cooperative spirit we have on council,'' he said.
The newcomers on council ?— Jeff Fix, Cristie Hammond and Keith Smith ?— say the shift in attitude was no accident.
''We all decided that we?’re there because the voters wanted us there and that everyone?’s viewpoint is valid,'' Hammond said.
Councilman no longer feels isolated
By Kirk D . Richards THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Pickerington City Councilman Michael Sabatino expected to be the odd man out this year.
Long on the losing side of votes, Sabatino saw one of his allies, William Wright, lose at the ballot. Another, Doug Parker, didn?’t seek re-election.
And all three newcomers campaigned in support of a slow-growth vision advocated by his political rivals: the council majority and Mayor David Shaver.
But instead of Sabatino?’s minority voice being muffled, as he had feared, he is enjoying more cooperation than ever. He gets along with Brian Wisniewski, who became council president this year.
The shift is reflected in the council voting record.
By mid-April of last year, Sabatino had abstained 55 times, often in protest of council policies.
This year, Sabatino has abstained just 18 times.
He still has philosophical differences with his colleagues ?— he is the only council member this year to vote against a proposal, recording 25 nay votes.
But this year, Sabatino says he and his colleagues can have professional differences of opinion without getting personal.
Meanwhile, some of the council members who supported the mayor are distancing themselves from him, saying he is too harsh on employees.
Council members Ted Hackworth and Wisniewski said the mayor also has yelled at them, although Shaver describes those exchanges as a give and take in which the councilmen shouted back.
Sabatino used to refer to his council colleagues as ''The Shaverettes.'' Today, he calls the council ''a cohesive group.''
And Sabatino sees the shift as having a direct effect on the legislation that is proposed.
''The mayor doesn?’t have four automatic votes anymore,'' Sabatino said.
For instance, Shaver is asking the council to support a joint economic development agreement with Violet Township.
''I have no intention of shoving that legislation through,'' Wisniewski said. ''It?’ll be a slow, methodical process.''
Wisniewski is agreeing to Shaver?’s request for a charter review committee. And that could lead the council to accept a couple of Sabatino?’s ideas that his colleagues dismissed last year.
One is to create a ward system in which the city would be carved into four sections that would each have a council representative, with three others elected at large.
Sabatino also wants to change the charter to place the city manager under the direction of council instead of the mayor. Proposed charter changes can be placed on the ballot if at least five of the seven council members approve.
''Those are things that have merit,'' Wisniewski said of Sabatino?’s ideas.
''Nothing is untouchable and nothing will get automatically discredited.''
Sabatino also is satisfied with his colleagues?’ promise that they will revisit the issue of hiring economic-development consultants who also work for neighboring Canal Winchester. Sabatino questions which community would be the consultants?’ priority if the towns were competing for the same project.
''I can?’t emphasize enough what a cooperative spirit we have on council,'' he said.
The newcomers on council ?— Jeff Fix, Cristie Hammond and Keith Smith ?— say the shift in attitude was no accident.
''We all decided that we?’re there because the voters wanted us there and that everyone?’s viewpoint is valid,'' Hammond said.
