The Observation Deck

In a typical over reaction of the rise of "Charlie" and the call for an end to Breed Specific Laws (BSL) in the first meeting of Council there is a move to not just increase the pressure on PitBull owners, but bring stifling laws to the owners of many more dogs and dog owners, calling for the muzzling of many breeds, including some of the most loving trusting breeds of dogs in the world, Mastiffs.

As a show of strength from City Hall against the residents of Lakewood, with one swift vote, they will take another step to hurt the Lakewood's brand. Of being an open, honest, loving community, dedicated ti intelligence, and open civic discourse and pets. In all of my years I have never seen such a bunch of vindictive small thinkers. Politicians who first reaction is to punish any and all that dare to ask questions, or ask them to just stop and think for a second, before acting.

They desperately try to control every aspect of life in Lakewood, for they fear if they do not we will soon see, the emperor has no clothes, no ideas, and no plans outside of gutting the city to benefit a small handful of friends.



Make no mistake, this is not about pitbulls, or dogs, or mastiffs, or garage sales, hospitals, or open discussion...

... It is about you, your family and/or your business.

Martin Niemöller:
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

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As long as the current administration is in power, Lakewood is anything but a " loving home town".
Word is getting out about how racist and bigoted the leadership is.....folks around northeast Ohio are seeing the truth underneath all the empty "Lakewood loves diversity" rhetoric.

So now we have moved beyond "safety" to political retaliation.
We need to recall the Mayor and his cronies before they do any more damage.

Teach us how to recall the Mayor and Council !

james fitzgibbons wrote:Teach us how to recall the Mayor and Council !

In Ohio, a petition must be signed by qualified voters. By law, the number of signatures required must equal at least 15 percent of the total votes cast at the most recent municipal election. ... The recall election is held 30 to 40 days after the petition is validated.

Q: Can a city official be recalled in Ohio?
A: Yes. The ORC provides that any elective officer of a municipality may be removed from office by qualified voters as long as that official has served at least one year of his or her term. Although state law allows cities to hold recall elections, any particular city’s charter may either allow or forbid such an election. The wording of the city charter determines whether recall is an option.

Q: Assuming a city’s charter allows it, how can a city official be recalled in Ohio?
A: In Ohio, a petition must be signed by qualified voters. By law, the number of signatures required must equal at least 15 percent of the total votes cast at the most recent municipal election. In the petition, the voters demand that the city official in question be removed in favor of another official to be chosen by the voters in a recall election. This petition must be filed with the board of elections. If the board of elections finds the petition to be valid and the official in question does not resign from office within five days, then the lawmaking authority in that city may set a day for a recall election. The recall election is held 30 to 40 days after the petition is validated.

From the Lakewood City Charter - ARTICLE 9.4
RECALL
• Recall Procedure. Any elected officer provided for in this charter may be removed from office by the registered voters qualified to vote for the office as provided in this section. A petition demanding that the question of removing the officer be submitted to those qualified to vote for the office shall be addressed to council and filed with the clerk of council. The petition shall be signed by registered voters qualified to vote for the office and equal in number to at least 15 percent of the total votes cast at the last reg- ular municipal election for the office of the officer sought to be recalled, in case the officer was elected by the voters of the entire city. The petition shall be signed by registered voters qualified to vote for the office and equal in number to at least 25 percent of the total votes cast by the voters of the officer’s ward at the last regular municipal election for that office, if the officer was elected to a ward position. The question of the removal of any officer shall not be submitted to the registered voters until the officer has served one year of the term during which the person is sought to be recalled or, in case of an officer retained in a recall election, until one year after that recall election.

• Recall Petitions. Recall petition papers shall be procured from the clerk of council. Prior to the issuance of petition papers, an affidavit shall be made by one or more registered voters qualified to vote for the officer and filed with the clerk, stating the name and office of the officer sought to be removed. The clerk shall enter in a record maintained by the clerk the name of each registered voter to whom the petition paper was issued and shall certify upon each paper the name of each registered voter to whom the paper was issued and the date of issuance. No petition paper issued under this section shall be accepted as part of a petition unless it bears the clerk’s certificate and is filed as provided in this section.

• Signatures to Recall Petition. Each signer of a recall petition shall sign his or her name in ink, and shall place his or her residence address on the petition paper after his or her name. The signatures to any petition paper need not all be appended to one paper, but to each paper there shall be attached an affidavit by the circulator of the petition stating the number of signers to that part of the petition and that each signature appended to the paper is the genuine signature of the person whose name it purports to be, and was made in the presence of the circulator.

• Filing of Recall Petition. All papers constituting a recall petition shall be assembled and filed with the clerk of council as one instrument within 30 days after the filing with the clerk the affidavit required by Section 9.4(b). Within 10 days after the filing of a petition the clerk shall transmit all the papers constituting the petition to the county board of elections. The board shall examine all signatures on the petition to determine the number of registered voters of the city or ward who signed the petition. The board shall return the petition to the clerk within 10 days after receiving it, together with a statement attesting to the number of registered voters of the city or ward who signed the petition. Upon receipt of the statement from the board of elections, the clerk shall endorse upon the petition a certificate of the result by showing the number of signatures required and the number of qualified registered voters the board of elections has determined signed the petition. If the clerk’s certificate shows that the pe- tition contains insufficient valid signatures in its support, the clerk shall at once notify each person to whom the petition paper was issued pursuant to Section 9.4(b) by depositing the notice in United States mail with postage prepaid and by sending to an email address indicated to be sufficient for notice by any person to whom the petition paper was issued.

• Supplemental Recall Petitions. In the event the initial petition contained insufficient signatures, it may be supported by supplemental signa- tures of qualified registered voters signed in the manner required in Section 9.4(c) appended to petitions issued, signed and filed as required for the original petition within 15 days after the date of the notice of insufficiency by the clerk. Within 10 days after the filing of these additional signatures, the clerk shall transmit all the additional petitions to the county board of elections. The board shall examine all signatures on the additional petitions to determine the number of registered voters of the city or ward who signed the additional petitions. The board shall return the additional petitions to the clerk within 10 days after receiving them, together with a statement attesting to the number of registered voters of the city or ward who signed the additional petitions. If the signatures are still insufficient, the clerk shall notify each person to whom the original petition pa- per was issued pursuant to Section 9.4(b) in the manner described in Section 9.4(d). The final finding of the insufficiency of a recall petition shall not prejudice the filing of a new petition for the same purpose, provided that no new petition shall be filed by any of the same persons within one year after the final finding of insufficiency.

• Recall Election. If a recall petition or supplemental petition shall be certified by the clerk to be sufficient, the clerk shall at once submit the petition with a certificate to council and shall notify the officer sought to be recalled of the recall action. If the officer whose removal is sought does not resign within five days after this notice, council shall order and fix a day for holding a recall election. Any recall election shall be held not less than 60 nor more than 90 days after the petition has been presented to council, whether at a primary, regular municipal or other general election or, if none of these elections shall occur within 90 days after the petition has been presented to council, at a special recall election called by council. The recall election shall be submitted to the registered voters of the entire city if the officer to be recalled was elected by the voters of the entire city, and the recall election shall be submitted to the registered voters of a single ward if the officer to be recalled was elected by the voters of a single ward. The county board of elections shall publish notice and make all arrangements for holding the recall election, which shall be conducted in all other respects as are special municipal elections.

• Ballots. The ballots at any recall election shall be in a form created by the county board of elections in accordance with general law in order to determine whether the officer whose removal is sought shall be recalled from office.

• Succeeding Officer. If the incumbent officer is not recalled in a recall election, he or she shall continue in office for the remainder of his or her unexpired term, subject to recall except as provided in this charter. If the incumbent officer is recalled in the recall election, he or she shall be deemed removed from office upon the announcement of the official canvass of that election, and the office shall be filled as in the case of permanent vacancies, except that the recalled officer may not be appointed to fill the vacancy.

Also it will require a substantial campaign budget, and an understanding that this Mayor has been vindictive toward his political opponents. He even has a henchman on call. But this, of course, is one the biggest reasons we need a recall.

Mr. O'Bryan, my speculation is that you are witnessing just another example of the shell game. "Keep your eye on your dog, while we finish the transfers of public treasure to private parties."

Last version was: "Let's debate hen ownership while we secretly liquidate the hospital."

Mark Kindt wrote:Last version was: "Let's debate hen ownership while we secretly liquidate the hospital."

Mark

Early on I compared what the city was about to go through with sleight of hand magic. Warning, when at a magic show always watch the hand you think is doing nothing. Misdirection is the single biggest key to all magic and disappearing acts.



In this elaborate production we had misdirection (cute animals), and (Cleveland Clinic wants out), sleight of hand, (the hospital is losing money we have too), charades (let the community decide) and even a do not look behind the curtain (LHF funds cannot be touched and are not connected to the hospital).

It continues to this day.

Sadly, Lakewood was played, and it would seem the roll of the Rube was easily filled.

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Jim O'Bryan wrote:

james fitzgibbons wrote:Teach us how to recall the Mayor and Council !

In Ohio, a petition must be signed by qualified voters. By law, the number of signatures required must equal at least 15 percent of the total votes cast at the most recent municipal election. ... The recall election is held 30 to 40 days after the petition is validated.

From the Lakewood City Charter - ARTICLE XXII.
RECALL
SECTION 1. RECALL PROCEDURE.
Any elective officer provided for in this Charter may be removed from office by the electors qualified to vote for a successor to such office as provided in this Article. A petition demanding that the question of removing such official be submitted to the electors qualified to vote for his or her successor shall be addressed to Council and filed with the Clerk of Council. Such petition shall be signed by qualified electors equal in number to at least fifteen percent (15%) of the total votes cast at the last preceding regular municipal election for the office of the officer sought to be recalled, in case the officer was elected by the voters of the entire City, and at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the total valid ballots at the last preceding regular municipal election for the office if the officer was elected by the voters of the particular ward. The question of the removal of any officer shall not be submitted to the electors until such person has served one year of the term during which such person is sought to be recalled or, in case of an officer retained in a recall election, until one year after that election.

So 15% of the total votes in the last mayoral election is how many signatures?

Five years ago, a council person (now a former council person) told me: “If those pro-pit bull and pro-BSL people keep it up, they haven’t seen anything yet.”

cmager wrote: So 15% of the total votes in the last mayoral election is how many signatures?

If I remember correctly, somewhere in the ballpark of 900-1,000.

CORRECTION!

It was pointed out to me by a member of the Charter Review Committee, that I had the old charter rules posted. The City has yet to update Charter on its website, so it is still listed under proposed charter.

In the new charter, the one we all voted on it is actually easier to recall an elected officials, and less signatures are needed than before. I updated the post I made earlier to reflect latest charter, and also here:

From the Lakewood City Charter - ARTICLE 9.4
RECALL
• Recall Procedure. Any elected officer provided for in this charter may be removed from office by the registered voters qualified to vote for the office as provided in this section. A petition demanding that the question of removing the officer be submitted to those qualified to vote for the office shall be addressed to council and filed with the clerk of council. The petition shall be signed by registered voters qualified to vote for the office and equal in number to at least 15 percent of the total votes cast at the last reg- ular municipal election for the office of the officer sought to be recalled, in case the officer was elected by the voters of the entire city. The petition shall be signed by registered voters qualified to vote for the office and equal in number to at least 25 percent of the total votes cast by the voters of the officer’s ward at the last regular municipal election for that office, if the officer was elected to a ward position. The question of the removal of any officer shall not be submitted to the registered voters until the officer has served one year of the term during which the person is sought to be recalled or, in case of an officer retained in a recall election, until one year after that recall election.

• Recall Petitions. Recall petition papers shall be procured from the clerk of council. Prior to the issuance of petition papers, an affidavit shall be made by one or more registered voters qualified to vote for the officer and filed with the clerk, stating the name and office of the officer sought to be removed. The clerk shall enter in a record maintained by the clerk the name of each registered voter to whom the petition paper was issued and shall certify upon each paper the name of each registered voter to whom the paper was issued and the date of issuance. No petition paper issued under this section shall be accepted as part of a petition unless it bears the clerk’s certificate and is filed as provided in this section.

• Signatures to Recall Petition. Each signer of a recall petition shall sign his or her name in ink, and shall place his or her residence address on the petition paper after his or her name. The signatures to any petition paper need not all be appended to one paper, but to each paper there shall be attached an affidavit by the circulator of the petition stating the number of signers to that part of the petition and that each signature appended to the paper is the genuine signature of the person whose name it purports to be, and was made in the presence of the circulator.

• Filing of Recall Petition. All papers constituting a recall petition shall be assembled and filed with the clerk of council as one instrument within 30 days after the filing with the clerk the affidavit required by Section 9.4(b). Within 10 days after the filing of a petition the clerk shall transmit all the papers constituting the petition to the county board of elections. The board shall examine all signatures on the petition to determine the number of registered voters of the city or ward who signed the petition. The board shall return the petition to the clerk within 10 days after receiving it, together with a statement attesting to the number of registered voters of the city or ward who signed the petition. Upon receipt of the statement from the board of elections, the clerk shall endorse upon the petition a certificate of the result by showing the number of signatures required and the number of qualified registered voters the board of elections has determined signed the petition. If the clerk’s certificate shows that the pe- tition contains insufficient valid signatures in its support, the clerk shall at once notify each person to whom the petition paper was issued pursuant to Section 9.4(b) by depositing the notice in United States mail with postage prepaid and by sending to an email address indicated to be sufficient for notice by any person to whom the petition paper was issued.

• Supplemental Recall Petitions. In the event the initial petition contained insufficient signatures, it may be supported by supplemental signa- tures of qualified registered voters signed in the manner required in Section 9.4(c) appended to petitions issued, signed and filed as required for the original petition within 15 days after the date of the notice of insufficiency by the clerk. Within 10 days after the filing of these additional signatures, the clerk shall transmit all the additional petitions to the county board of elections. The board shall examine all signatures on the additional petitions to determine the number of registered voters of the city or ward who signed the additional petitions. The board shall return the additional petitions to the clerk within 10 days after receiving them, together with a statement attesting to the number of registered voters of the city or ward who signed the additional petitions. If the signatures are still insufficient, the clerk shall notify each person to whom the original petition pa- per was issued pursuant to Section 9.4(b) in the manner described in Section 9.4(d). The final finding of the insufficiency of a recall petition shall not prejudice the filing of a new petition for the same purpose, provided that no new petition shall be filed by any of the same persons within one year after the final finding of insufficiency.

• Recall Election. If a recall petition or supplemental petition shall be certified by the clerk to be sufficient, the clerk shall at once submit the petition with a certificate to council and shall notify the officer sought to be recalled of the recall action. If the officer whose removal is sought does not resign within five days after this notice, council shall order and fix a day for holding a recall election. Any recall election shall be held not less than 60 nor more than 90 days after the petition has been presented to council, whether at a primary, regular municipal or other general election or, if none of these elections shall occur within 90 days after the petition has been presented to council, at a special recall election called by council. The recall election shall be submitted to the registered voters of the entire city if the officer to be recalled was elected by the voters of the entire city, and the recall election shall be submitted to the registered voters of a single ward if the officer to be recalled was elected by the voters of a single ward. The county board of elections shall publish notice and make all arrangements for holding the recall election, which shall be conducted in all other respects as are special municipal elections.

• Ballots. The ballots at any recall election shall be in a form created by the county board of elections in accordance with general law in order to determine whether the officer whose removal is sought shall be recalled from office.

• Succeeding Officer. If the incumbent officer is not recalled in a recall election, he or she shall continue in office for the remainder of his or her unexpired term, subject to recall except as provided in this charter. If the incumbent officer is recalled in the recall election, he or she shall be deemed removed from office upon the announcement of the official canvass of that election, and the office shall be filled as in the case of permanent vacancies, except that the recalled officer may not be appointed to fill the vacancy.

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I was off in my last post. There were approx 14,000 total votes in the 2015 mayoral election.

15% would be in the 2,100 ballpark.

Let’s hope this proposed new ordinance has a turn in city council’s Finance Committee ... for no other reason than to discuss/debate the effect pending and subsequent law suits will have on the city’s budget/finances.