Council Should Support the Charter Amendment

[todd heckeler]

The odd thing is that while I was waiting for his last response I called the board. I talked with someone who was very familiar with this issue and was actually helping rewrite the verbiage. The contact didn't seem to understand why the city would change the verbiage from "majority vote of the electors to "majority of the registered voters of the city". They also mentioned they had never seen a city submit something requiring such an impossible task. They changed it back to the original verbiage and are willing to make it as clear as possible.

Hm, curious and confused. Are you the writer of the original? Who was the contact that was rewriting the verbiage? Do you have a copy of the rewrite? Should we wait till Friday to see if the verbiage is correct before assuming something is up?

[Bridget Conant]

Hm, curious and confused. Are you the writer of the original? Who was the contact that was rewriting the verbiage? Do you have a copy of the rewrite? Should we wait till Friday to see if the verbiage is correct before assuming something is up?

Yes, Todd, you are quite curious and confused!

[Ryan Salo]

Todd,

I am just a concerned citizen that hates it when leaders use lies and misinformation to push agendas. I was told, by someone working at the board of elections that the rewrite is still in progress but they told me they immediately changed that part of what the city had sent because it didn't make any sense, although it makes perfect sense because it gave them a talking point...

I am confused as to why anyone would follow their lead...

[todd heckeler]

Todd,

I am just a concerned citizen that hates it when leaders use lies and misinformation to push agendas. I was told, by someone working at the board of elections that the rewrite is still in progress but they told me they immediately changed that part of what the city had sent because it didn't make any sense, although it makes perfect sense because it gave them a talking point...

I am confused as to why anyone would follow their lead...

Huh. Ok cool so your contact changed it back to the original then?

[Bridget Conant]

Don't bother with Todd, Ryan. He's being disingenuous. He's a Build Lakewood lackey and he needs to be called on it.

[todd heckeler]

Don't bother with Todd, Ryan. He's being disingenuous. He's a Build Lakewood lackey and he needs to be called on it.

Not disingenuous at all, I am actually very interested in the amendment. Isn't it my right to ask questions? In fact, it should be encouraged by all, especially now. No need to try and shut people down.

[Jennifer Pae]

No one can change the actual charter amendment language. The petitioners followed ARTICLE XX. INITIATIVE of the Lakewood City Charter http://whdrane.conwaygreene.com/NXT/gat ... OHLakewood

Once the proposed charter amendment was submitted and filed with the city which was done on July 16th, signatures then had to be collected. Therefore, proposed charter amendment language can't be changed after that point because people have to know what they are signing. The Right to Vote group collected enough valid signatures in time to place the issue on the ballot for the Nov. 3rd general election.

Per Article XX, City Council has to pass an ordinance in order to forward the initiative, in this case the proposed new charter section, to the board of elections. That is what took place at the Aug. 31st special council meeting. They did not approve the charter amendment, they just approved an ordinance to forward the item to the board of elections for placement on the ballot.

The board of elections writes the ballot language. The ballot language is different from the charter amendment language. It is essentially a summary of the Initiative, in this case a brief summary of the charter amendment regarding Lakewood Hospital that voters will have an opportunity to vote yes or no on November 3rd. A yes vote will approve the charter amendment, a no vote will defeat its addition to the city charter.

Municipal law directors can provide input to the ballot language, but do not have the final say. Once the ballot language is approved by the board of elections, it is then forwarded Ohio Secretary of State for final approval. Once that happens, it will be included on the November 3rd ballot for the City of Lakewood elections.

Hope that helps.

[Sean Koran]

Jen -

Who drafted the ballot language contained in Section 2 of Ordinance No. 27-15?

Thanks,

Sean

http://www.onelakewood.com/wp-content/u ... -26-15.pdf

[todd heckeler]

No one can change the actual charter amendment language. The petitioners followed ARTICLE XX. INITIATIVE of the Lakewood City Charter http://whdrane.conwaygreene.com/NXT/gat ... OHLakewood

Once the proposed charter amendment was submitted and filed with the city which was done on July 16th, signatures then had to be collected. Therefore, proposed charter amendment language can't be changed after that point because people have to know what they are signing. The Right to Vote group collected enough valid signatures in time to place the issue on the ballot for the Nov. 3rd general election.

Per Article XX, City Council has to pass an ordinance in order to forward the initiative, in this case the proposed new charter section, to the board of elections. That is what took place at the Aug. 31st special council meeting. They did not approve the charter amendment, they just approved an ordinance to forward the item to the board of elections for placement on the ballot.

The board of elections writes the ballot language. The ballot language is different from the charter amendment language. It is essentially a summary of the Initiative, in this case a brief summary of the charter amendment regarding Lakewood Hospital that voters will have an opportunity to vote yes or no on November 3rd. A yes vote will approve the charter amendment, a no vote will defeat its addition to the city charter.

Municipal law directors can provide input to the ballot language, but do not have the final say. Once the ballot language is approved by the board of elections, it is then forwarded Ohio Secretary of State for final approval. Once that happens, it will be included on the November 3rd ballot for the City of Lakewood elections.

Hope that helps.

The verbiage on the ballot is the same from Section 2 of the following, correct? If so the board of elections wrote that verbiage from Section 2?
https://assets.documentcloud.org/docume ... inance.pdf

Shall the Second Amended Charter of the City of Lakewood be amended to create an
automatic referendunn, requiring an affirmative vote by a majority of the registered voters
of tine city for passage, on any ordinance adopted by council that word caose Lakewood
Hospital to oo longer be a fall -tine and full- service hospital and medical facility
providing, without limitation, inpatient diagnostic, medical, surgical, and psychiatric
care for a cothmous period longer than twenty -four hours?

[todd heckeler]

BTW this is a very very important vote that people should ask questions of, either side, it should not be taken lightly.

[Brian Essi]

No one can change the actual charter amendment language. The petitioners followed ARTICLE XX. INITIATIVE of the Lakewood City Charter http://whdrane.conwaygreene.com/NXT/gat ... OHLakewood

Once the proposed charter amendment was submitted and filed with the city which was done on July 16th, signatures then had to be collected. Therefore, proposed charter amendment language can't be changed after that point because people have to know what they are signing. The Right to Vote group collected enough valid signatures in time to place the issue on the ballot for the Nov. 3rd general election.

Per Article XX, City Council has to pass an ordinance in order to forward the initiative, in this case the proposed new charter section, to the board of elections. That is what took place at the Aug. 31st special council meeting. They did not approve the charter amendment, they just approved an ordinance to forward the item to the board of elections for placement on the ballot.

The board of elections writes the ballot language. The ballot language is different from the charter amendment language. It is essentially a summary of the Initiative, in this case a brief summary of the charter amendment regarding Lakewood Hospital that voters will have an opportunity to vote yes or no on November 3rd. A yes vote will approve the charter amendment, a no vote will defeat its addition to the city charter.

Municipal law directors can provide input to the ballot language, but do not have the final say. Once the ballot language is approved by the board of elections, it is then forwarded Ohio Secretary of State for final approval. Once that happens, it will be included on the November 3rd ballot for the City of Lakewood elections.

Hope that helps.

The verbiage on the ballot is the same from Section 2 of the following, correct? If so the board of elections wrote that verbiage from Section 2?
https://assets.documentcloud.org/docume ... inance.pdf

Shall the Second Amended Charter of the City of Lakewood be amended to create an
automatic referendunn, requiring an affirmative vote by a majority of the registered voters
of tine city for passage, on any ordinance adopted by council that word caose Lakewood
Hospital to oo longer be a fall -tine and full- service hospital and medical facility
providing, without limitation, inpatient diagnostic, medical, surgical, and psychiatric
care for a cothmous period longer than twenty -four hours?

Jenn and Todd,

Thanks for coming to the Deck so often—it’s great to hear from your side.

I sensed that you were in full damage control when the crisis management/public relations guys wrote 5 paragraphs for Jenn to respond to Ryan Salo and only one sentence came close to fessing up—that is: “Municipal law directors can provide input to the ballot language, but do not have the final say.” LOL!

What the PR guy says was “input”, was actually Butler and Summers completely changing the wording from the charter to concoct a totally bogus ballot question.

So Jenn and Todd go off script and just admit it and get that bad news out all at once:

Summers and Butler changed the wording from the charter to concoct a totally bogus ballot question to create a campaign issue to take the focus off of a beleaguered Summers.

Todd,

Your post above literally made me pee my pants! It was your question: “If so the board of elections wrote that verbiage from Section 2?” LOL!

You’re trying to pretend the Board of Elections wrote language that you know Butler wrote and had Council vote on that you were given ahead of time to go out and blog about for a campaign issue you know is bogus. That is hilarious!

If you keep coming back to the Deck, I’m going to need to buy a box of “Depends” for when I read your stuff.

I really hope Summers allows you to continue to post on the Deck.

[Bridget Conant]

You can't make this stuff up!

I've never seen so many machinations in my life!

I hope everyone reading this, and there are many, take note of the antics of the mayor and his minions.

As I've said all along, if the "deal" was so good it would sell itself. You wouldn't need to resort to all this petty crap, fear mongering, innuendo, and outright lies.

Stop the madness. Throw these people out of office and let's start over with new ideas and people that will work for ALL Lakewoodites and insure that what we do about the Hospital is the best we can do for Lakewood.

[Stan Austin]

Based on my reading of the reports of the special council meeting to consider this charter amendment it would seem that not only were the Mayor, Law and Finance Directors involved in this scheme, but certain members of council were at least briefed so they had talking points.

[todd heckeler]

Your post above literally made me pee my pants! It was your question: “If so the board of elections wrote that verbiage from Section 2?” LOL!

You’re trying to pretend the Board of Elections wrote language that you know Butler wrote and had Council vote on that you were given ahead of time to go out and blog about for a campaign issue you know is bogus. That is hilarious!

Not sure what you find so funny? I'm not trying to pretend anything. I'm asking questions. I have no idea who wrote that language, why I asked. Unsure of why you think it's hilarious? I figured posting here would be pointless and was right. Take care.

[Brian Essi]

Your post above literally made me pee my pants! It was your question: “If so the board of elections wrote that verbiage from Section 2?” LOL!

You’re trying to pretend the Board of Elections wrote language that you know Butler wrote and had Council vote on that you were given ahead of time to go out and blog about for a campaign issue you know is bogus. That is hilarious!

Not sure what you find so funny? I'm not trying to pretend anything. I'm asking questions. I have no idea who wrote that language, why I asked. Unsure of why you think it's hilarious? I figured posting here would be pointless and was right. Take care.

Todd,

You are everything I thought you might be. You have left a trail that exposes you--including "I figured posting here would be pointless" vs. "I'm asking questions."

So you were trying to make "points" through your "question"--right?
Sort of like, when was the last time you beat or wife? A question and a point in one.

And we gave you answers to your questions, so what's the problem?

You didn't like facts and answers that did not fit your bogus narrative so you play the victim and cut and run?

What is so funny is that you and your ilk think the folks on the Deck are as naïve and misinformed as those cool-aid drinkers on other forums.

What is so funny is that you barely lasted 72 hours and you're cutting and running because the premise you came here for went up in smoke.

Come on. Man Up. Give us all you got. There is no reason to fear the truth.