Council has no choice
Now for those of you still just thinking about a recall you should consider this. With the recent resignations and the new assignments in our council there will be only four City Council members that can be recalled. They are Fox, Wright, Parker, and Maxey. Two of these councilmen are up for re-election this fall. They are also still pounding their drums about recall being reserved for only illegal actions while in office.
I want to remind you all that Craig Maxey was appointed to fill the vacant council seat of one Linda Wilson. Mrs. Wilson was recalled because she demanded that a city employee unlock the door to the manager?’s office, she was disrespectful of city employees, and she had a violation with the Ohio Elections Commission. She may have also gotten a parking ticket here or there.
So with that in mind let?’s review where the current city council is with the two lots per acre ordinance. In the summer, when the council had on their agenda an ordinance to place the two lots per acre initiative on the ballot they couldn?’t find a second. Mrs. Ricketts had already started circulating a replacement initiative. At the time Mr. Mapes told the council members they could be held PERSONALLY libel for putting this initiative/ordinance on the ballot. Stop and think about that statement. I am sure there have been many cities, across this country, that have passed ordinances and they were later found to be unconstitutional. I am also sure the council members were not found PERSONNALLY libel.
So why would Mr. Mapes warn the Pickerington City Council that they could be held personally libel? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that in previous years this city council delegated their legislative authority to the City Manager and in doing so she signed these pre-annexations agreements thus obligating the City and its voters to HIGH DENSITY ZONING. Clearly, last summer, if they had reversed themselves, they could be found to going back on their word and causing financial harm to the builders.
So in other words as long as these four council members above remain on the Pickerington City council their votes on any density issues lower than they had promised to the builders in those pre-annexations contracts will subject to them to being sued personally by the builders. Is that what Mr. Mapes was telling them last August? Can they actually afford to defend the voters of Pickerington from the BIA without placing themselves in some kind legal jeopardy?
It seems to me, they should be recalled to protect themselves. Once removed from office the new members of council could be free to vote their conscience without the prior agreements hanging over their heads.
Were these four council members acting in the voters behalf when they delegated their legislative authority over to the City Manager? That should be charge number one of any recall effort.
By Double Dealer
Now for those of you still just thinking about a recall you should consider this. With the recent resignations and the new assignments in our council there will be only four City Council members that can be recalled. They are Fox, Wright, Parker, and Maxey. Two of these councilmen are up for re-election this fall. They are also still pounding their drums about recall being reserved for only illegal actions while in office.
I want to remind you all that Craig Maxey was appointed to fill the vacant council seat of one Linda Wilson. Mrs. Wilson was recalled because she demanded that a city employee unlock the door to the manager?’s office, she was disrespectful of city employees, and she had a violation with the Ohio Elections Commission. She may have also gotten a parking ticket here or there.
So with that in mind let?’s review where the current city council is with the two lots per acre ordinance. In the summer, when the council had on their agenda an ordinance to place the two lots per acre initiative on the ballot they couldn?’t find a second. Mrs. Ricketts had already started circulating a replacement initiative. At the time Mr. Mapes told the council members they could be held PERSONALLY libel for putting this initiative/ordinance on the ballot. Stop and think about that statement. I am sure there have been many cities, across this country, that have passed ordinances and they were later found to be unconstitutional. I am also sure the council members were not found PERSONNALLY libel.
So why would Mr. Mapes warn the Pickerington City Council that they could be held personally libel? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that in previous years this city council delegated their legislative authority to the City Manager and in doing so she signed these pre-annexations agreements thus obligating the City and its voters to HIGH DENSITY ZONING. Clearly, last summer, if they had reversed themselves, they could be found to going back on their word and causing financial harm to the builders.
So in other words as long as these four council members above remain on the Pickerington City council their votes on any density issues lower than they had promised to the builders in those pre-annexations contracts will subject to them to being sued personally by the builders. Is that what Mr. Mapes was telling them last August? Can they actually afford to defend the voters of Pickerington from the BIA without placing themselves in some kind legal jeopardy?
It seems to me, they should be recalled to protect themselves. Once removed from office the new members of council could be free to vote their conscience without the prior agreements hanging over their heads.
Were these four council members acting in the voters behalf when they delegated their legislative authority over to the City Manager? That should be charge number one of any recall effort.
By Double Dealer
