Shelby City Council to meet in special session on proposed charter change
By David Jacobs
The Shelby City Council plans to hold a special meeting at 10:45 a.m. Friday, July 11, to take a final vote on a proposed charter amendment that would send the measure to voters in November if approved by at least four of the five council members.
The special meeting will be held in the Shelby City Hall’s large conference room, 5 Water St.
If approved by a council supermajority of four, Ordinance No. 15-2025 will be placed on the Nov. 4 ballot for Shelby voters.
The proposal would amend Section 53 of the city’s charter to reflect what ordinance sponsor, Councilman at-large Steve McLaughlin, described as a 2014 revision to the Ohio Revised Code.
“At this point, Ohio Revised Code and Shelby’s ordinances say two different things,” he said at the July 7 meeting. “Shelby’s charter says 75 days after filing the petition versus Ohio Revised Code’s 90 days. So there’s like a two-week difference.”
The ordinance advanced on a 4-1 vote during its second reading on July 7. Three readings are required prior to a vote on passage and submission to Shelby voters.
McLaughlin outlined what he described as four benefits of passing the ordinance and putting the issue to voters.
“No. 1, it gives it to the electors," he said. "So instead of the five of us passing it or not passing it, this allows us to see what the voters think."
"No. 2, if it does pass, it syncs us with Ohio law," he continued. "No. 3, and this is probably the most important thing, the Shelby citizens will get two weeks to challenge somebody’s petition, where at this point they only get one day. And then finally it does help the board of elections team, which we are a part of.”
Shelby is part of this with eight of the 83 precincts in Richland County, he noted.
"We're basically a team with the county in making sure that our elections kick off and are successful," McLaughlin told the council. "It would help them if Shelby is in sync with the rest of the county."
"I see no negative aspects. If there are any negative aspects, I’d like to hear what they are from my colleagues," McLaughlin stated.
Without comment on July 7, Councilman Nathan Martin cast the lone no vote as part of the ordinance’s second reading. Martin, however, has discussed the matter at length in the past.
“I did not feel the matter rises to the level of putting it before voters,” he said June 2 in part of his remarks.
Martin did save the proposal at the planned first reading on June 2, when it appeared the council -- with Councilman Charles Roub not in attendance -- did not have the four votes needed to move to a second reading.
Martin secured a postponement on that day, keeping the proposal alive for the second reading on June 16, when Roub announced his support and the legislation advanced on a 4-0 vote with Martin not in attendance.
The special meeting is needed to meet the Aug. 6 filing deadline to submit the matter to the Richland County Board of Elections to get on the Nov. 4 ballot.
Scheduling conflicts, the need to secure four of five council votes and allowing the public to weigh in are prompting the special meeting.
The next regular council meeting is scheduled for July 21, but Councilman Roub is not expected to be in attendance due to a scheduling conflict, leaving the potential for only three affirmative votes on that day, one short of the required number.
At the July 7 meeting, Martin said, "Not that it matters, but we're moving this (from July 21) so my vote can't kill it.
"… Whether I’m there or not is inconsequential," he said later.
Hearing Martin's comments and various scheduling issues on July 7, Mayor Steve Schag expressed a desire for all council members to have a say.
“We’ll do our very best to get all five of you, if at all possible, give time to the audience, citizens, (time) to chime in” he said.
Councilman McLaughlin -- citing concerns about the upcoming elections board deadline -- had sparked this discussion, leading to the now-scheduled July 11 special meeting.
“Today really was supposed to be the third reading of that ordinance,” McLaughlin said on July 7. “We postponed it so Mr. Roub could be here and all that. And so we’re a little behind.”
Schag noted the board of elections deadline as well, noting the earlier delay and noting that the city "had six months to do this" in reference to the legislative calendar opening in January 2025.
Reporter David Jacobs can be reached at davidjacobs@shelbynewsreporter.com
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