City Charter Change Petition

[Grace O'Malley]

I was asked to sign a petition recently. I had little time to ask about it so I took an info sheet and said I'd think about it.

I wonder if anyone here has insight into this: is it legitimate, what are the pros and cons, who is pushing it, etc.

Apparently it is a petition to change the part of the city charter that restricts anyone who works for the school board to also run for and hold a city office.

I was a bit leery because the fact sheet was full of hyperbole like "your civil rights are restricted" and such.

[Suzanne Metelko]

Grace,

I am one of the sponsors of this petition.

The state charter governs the City Schools.

The city charter governs the City.

The state charter DOES NOT restrict city employees who live in Lakewood from running for school board.

The city charter DOES restrict school employees who live in Lakewood from running for council.

In my opinion, if we're trying to change behavior ie work in Lakewood/live in Lakewood, this policy excludes a large portion of our most educated and engaged residents, and it doesn't encourage them to live in our community. It also removes them from our leadership pool.

From what I can tell, the city charter has had this in effect since 1910. I have speculated that perhaps in 1910 the majority of school employees were women and this was suffrage issue, but that is pure speculation and I haven't done any research to substantiate that.

That's pretty much it in a nutshell. Thanks for posting, if I can answer anymore questions, feel free to post or call me 216.521.6433.

Suzanne

[Phil Florian]

Just for clarification: City employee=school employee? While both are public servants, a teacher's check should say Lakewood City Schools but not City of Lakewood on it (I think). Both are public employees but under different sorts of rules. Does the local charter restrict City Employees or strictly School employees? Maybe those folks in 1910 found politics just as despicable then and didn't want that type of person teaching their children!

Seriously, though, I can't see why they would have this. Do other cities have a similar charter? What are realistic arguments for this? Also, who has this stopped from running. Where, as they say, is the outrage? Is this one person's crusade to get a council job or are there a lot of School Employees that are wishing to be on the council. Again, just curious because on the surface this proposal to rid this in the charter makes sense to me.

Thanks!

Phil

[Suzanne Metelko]

Phil,
To answer your question, I don't know who it has stopped from running, because they know they can't run. But I keep asking myself, "Why don't I want Rick Wair to run for council?" There are many fine administrative employees as well as teachers, counselors or any qualified, resident, school employee.

You may already know but a current school board member and immediate past president of the board is a Lakewood Police detective and the new assistant to the mayor. It brings the issue to the fore.

[stephen davis]

Perhaps Suzanne can post the language of this petition on this board. I have not seen it. Is there a proposed date for voting?

[Suzanne Metelko]

Good suggestion Steve. Bob and I are leaving now to see Hilary but I'll scan it in tomorrow and get it to Jim. Is that soon enough?

[stephen davis]

Oh good, then you won't be here to defend yourself against my attacks on this issue. Perfect!

You and Bob go and have fun now.

Steve

[Lynn Farris]

I think Steve, my fellow charter member, will concur that we discussed this issue and decided not to change it.

I also know that it was discussed by council and they decided not to put it on the ballot.

Let me assure you it had nothing to do with women not holding office.

The issue was a potential conflict of interest between a teacher and the child of a parent that politically opposed the council person who just happened to be that child's teacher. It was a case of real or perceived problems or potential problems. Would a parent, for example, not oppose something, because they were afraid that it would affect their child?

I have personally told Ryan, that I would have been honored to have him teach my children. But the issue wasn't about Ryan it was about some one less scrupulous.

I have signed the petition, because I think it is worthy of debate. But the issue has been potentially reviewed by every charter committee over the years and not changed. (The charter is at least reviewed every 10 years.)

To my understanding there are cities that allow members of the school system to serve and cities that don't.

[Phil Florian]

Lynn,

Thanks for the information. This is an interesting conundrum but I am curious if it is a realistic one. How would a teacher know the parents of a student were opposed to them politically? A parent might know that Teacher A was running for Council. A parent might know that Teacher A is listed as a Republican (through disclosure by the Teacher as a part of her campaign). But the election is private and there is no way that a teacher should know how the parents of her students voted. Unless, of course, the parents decide to tell the teacher that but that seems like a problem of the parent, not the Charter. A parent doesn't have to say that they vote Democrat, regardless of whether or not the Teacher professes a party affiliation through a Councilperson campaign.

Why is this not an issue for a police officer running for council? Will they pull over and ticket anyone not showing a sign in her favor? Or not respond quickly to a call to a home that has the opposition's sign in their yard?

Why one and not the other? People are people and if we assume that some bad teacher will...I don't know, not teach a kid about the letter "Q" just to ruin them for later years, all because the parents didn't vote for her then it seems that it is just as likely that a police officer running for office might do the same. I am of the opinion that if there is a teacher who thinks like that then our children are already in trouble regardless of if the teacher runs for office or not.



Phil

[Joseph Milan]

I am one of the sponsors of this petition.

The state charter governs the City Schools.

The city charter governs the City.

The state charter DOES NOT restrict city employees who live in Lakewood from running for school board.

The city charter DOES restrict school employees who live in Lakewood from running for council.

A lot of these rules are strange, and as you point out, conflicting.
I know the Cleveland Police and Fire departments have been fighting for years to be able to live where they want. At the same time, there were rumors (during the White administration) that, while the mayor had a residence in the city of Cleveland, he may also have had a residence in Lakewood. Another rumor is that he had a home in Medina. These are both rumors that I cannot verify, but it was a wide belief of many fireman and policeman in the city of Cleveland.
Clevelanders are fighting both for and against letting safety workers live where they want, while our city says a person working for the schools is not allowed good enough to represent us.
Some of these laws may have had a purpose at some point in time, but I think they are outdated.

Joe

[Grace O'Malley]

Outdated, maybe, but the charter provision is almost 100 years strong. There must be a reason.

As Lynn noted, the previous charter review commissions have never asked for this to be "updated" or changed. Why?

Has this been challenged by an individual before? Under what circumstances?

Exactly how many people does this affect?

Is there any indication that there are people who have been harmed by this provision? (Their civil rights violated, LOL.)

The charter review commissions and the city council did not see merit in placing it on the ballot, so I would need some serious arguments to convince me that it was imperative that this issue be addressed. Aren't there more pressing issues?



BTW, Westlake recently had an issue with a law director who was also a school board member. She was asked to resign one of the positions. Apparently many cities have restrictions.

[Danielle Masters]

It hasn't been mentioned but I think it is worth noting that all school employees are restricting from holding a seat on council. That would include the lunch lady or the school janitor. I think that is a bit extreme. Also there is existing law regarding conflict of interest that requires council members to abstain from voting if an issue would benefit them or their family. I hope that at the very least this issue will make it to the ballot so that it can go up a vote.

[Grace O'Malley]

Danielle

Why? Is this a serious problem in Lakewood? That the janitor can't run for council?

Why is it suddenly so important?

[Danielle Masters]

Exactly how many people does this affect?

It affects 399 tax paying Lakewood residents.

Apparently many cities have restrictions.

In Cuyahoga county 5 of the 52 municipalities have this restriction, the cities are Lakewood, Rocky River, Cleveland, Shaker Heights, and Bay Village.

I hope that answers a few questions.

[Grace O'Malley]

Danielle

Even assuming that all 399 persons had an interest in running for council, that number is less than 1% of the population of Lakewood.

Hardly a big issue.