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Ms. Scott-Jones |
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Pacman 
Prominent MUSA Citizen 
Joined: Jun 02 2007 Status: Offline Points: 2612 |
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 Topic: Ms. Scott-JonesPosted: Aug 04 2009 at 8:15pm |
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Although Ms. Scott-Jones may not agree with the Petition to do away with the Ward system of Representation in Midletown that is being circulated. Ms. Scott-Jones should respect the right of a citizen(s) to proceed legally as outlined in the city charter, without taking citizens to task for doing what they believe is correct. Ms. Scott-Jones it is not "Insubordination" when citizens follow the Riles and the Law.
ARTICLE VI INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM AND RECALL SECTION 1. INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM. The initiative and referendum powers are reserved to the people of the City on all questions which City Council is authorized to control by legislative action. Such powers shall be exercised in the manner provided by the laws of the State of Ohio. (Amended 11-8-1949; 11-7-2000) SECTION 2. RECALL. (a) Any elective officer of the City may be removed from office by the qualified electors of the City. The procedure for such removal shall be as now provided by Section 3515-71 of the General Code of the State of Ohio (now Ohio R.C. 705.92). (b) Any person removed from office by a recall election shall not be appointed or employed by the City in any department of the City for a period of at least two (2) years from and after the date of such removal. (c) Each officer whose recall is sought by petition as herein provided shall have the right to present a statement in not more than two hundred (200) words defending his position and such statement shall be mailed by the Clerk of the Council to each registered voter of the City at least fifteen (15) days prior to such election. (Amended 11-8-1949; 11-7-2000)
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randy
MUSA Official 
Joined: Jan 13 2009 Location: Middletown Status: Offline Points: 1586 |
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Posted: Aug 04 2009 at 9:36pm |
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Glad too have you back pacman Noticed you were gone for a few days. The site was not the same with out.
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Ima B. Lever
MUSA Resident 
Joined: Jul 23 2009 Status: Offline Points: 62 |
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Posted: Aug 04 2009 at 10:22pm |
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Anita -
Do you remember stopping by my office at the Municipal Building in early 2008 shortly after you were elected to the City Council? Do you remember asking me if there were CDBG funds available for the repainting of the Community Center on Lafayette Avenue? Do you remember me telling you that there was a modest amount of funds available in the Community Improvement Program account. Do you remember me telling you that I would recommend this matter to the attention of the now-defunct HUD Consolidated Planning Committee for their consideration. Do you remember how $7,000+ was allocated for the purchase of materials, equipment, etc. Do you remember how this project was to be completed in the Fall months of 2008? Since you have mentioned this project so many times at City Council meetings I thought that I would refresh your memory.
Nelson Self
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Mike_Presta
MUSA Council 
Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483 |
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Posted: Aug 05 2009 at 12:30am |
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I also STRONGLY agree with the people’s right to petition, Pacman, but my gut tells me that something might be wrong with the way these issues may be presented on the ballot.
First, let me make it perfectly clear that I have NOT seen the petition!!! All that I know about it is that in his July 28th letter to The Middletown Journal Mr. Michel stated that he was “compelled to pull a petition of submission for a proposed amendment to the charter for the purpose of adding ordinance 02009-46”.
EXHIBIT "A" PROPOSAL That Article II, Section 2 and the first paragraph of Article II, Section 3 of the Charter be amended to provide for the election of five members of City Council, consisting of a mayor and four members elected at-large, effective for the general election in 2013 and the City Council seated January 1, 2014, such amended section to read in full, as follows; SECTION 2. CITY COUNCIL. Effective January 1, 1994, there is hereby created a City Commission, which, effective January 1, 2001, shall be named City Council, consisting of seven (7) electors, residents of the City of Middletown, who shall be nominated and elected as provided in the Charter, and shall exercise all powers, authority and rights, legislative, executive and administrative, now vested in and exercised by the City of Middletown and its several officers. All powers, authority and rights vested in or granted to the City of Middletown, its prior legislative authorities and members thereof, shall, subject to the provisions of the Constitution of the State of Ohio and of this Charter, be vested in, possessed and exercised by said City Council and the several members thereof, or under their direction. Effective January 1, 2014, the number of electors, residents of the City of Middletown, composing City Council shall be reduced to five (5). Prior to January 1, 2014, City Council shall be comprised of two (2) of the City Council members and the Mayor of the City of Middletown who shall be elected "at large" (by all qualified electors of the City of Middletown) and the remaining four (4) City Council members who shall be elected "by ward", (by only the qualified electors of one ward of the City of Middletown), one from each of the four wards. Effective January 1, 2014, City Council shall be comprised of four (4) City Council members and the Mayor of the City of Middletown all of whom shall be elected "at-large" (by all qualified electors of the City of Middletown). Prior to January 1, 1994, the City Commission was composed of five (5) members in accordance with previous Charter provisions. (Amended 11-6-1990; 11-7-2000; 11-8-2005) SECTION 3. ELECTION. In the general election to be held in 2007, and every four (4) years thereafter, two (2) City Council members and the Mayor shall be chosen "at large". The mayoral seat shall be elected separately from the two (2) at large seats, and a candidate for Mayor must file and run as a candidate for Mayor. In the general election to be held in 1993, and every four years thereafter, until the general election of 2013, four (4) City Council members shall be chosen "by ward". City Council members chosen "by ward" shall be electors residing in the ward from which they are chosen. In the general election held in 2013, and every four years thereafter, two (2) City Council members shall be chosen at-large. All City Council members shall be chosen for a term of four (4) years, except as provided in the next paragraph of this section. [Remainder of section remains unchanged] Ed Richter’s July 20th Journal article about the petition states that “If successful, the proposed amendments would eliminate the 8-year-old ward election system and cut council from seven to five members - four at-large and a directly elected mayor.” I agree with Mr. Richter’s conclusion. It is my understanding that this will be a “Shall the Middletown City Charter be amended…”-- “YES” or “NO” type of ballot issue. So, while I agree that this matter is up to the voters, what I do NOT agree with is giving the citizens who do not follows the issues as closely as we on this board do, the impression that these are the ONLY CHOICES that they have!!! I’m sure that there are many people who think that FOUR WARD COUNCIL MEMBERS, plus an at-large mayor may be the best choice, and they may see this as the closest they can get. Many others may deem that SIX AT-LARGE, plus a mayor would be their preference. Also, with NINE OTHER charter amendments on the ballot, is there a possibility of confusion, which may result in some voters marking this issue “YES” by mistake? Last, but certainly not least, we still have the specter of “Moving Middletown Forward” hovering menacingly in the background!!! Please allow me to repeat my thoughts from my post on an earlier thread about that clandestine group: I am concerned that, among other things, this organization is actively involved in: Recruiting and training candidates for City Council Fundraising for council candidates ($5,000 per candidate?) Speech-coaching candidates Establishing issues for candidates Not giving away its main goal of recruiting and quietly helping groom selected candidates I am also troubled that this organization appears to be conspiring to: Surreptitiously form committees while concealing objectives and goals Quietly “groom” their “selected candidates” Change the makeup of City Council, AND the County Commission Eliminate at-large seats from City Council Make City Council “more manageable”(?!?) My friends, I am reticent, yes, reticent. It gives me pause that the ONLY CHOICE that either the CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE or Mr. Michel want to give to the people is the ONE CHOICE that leaves city council in its “MOST MANAGEABLE” form!!! |
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“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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Mike_Presta
MUSA Council
Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483 |
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Posted: Aug 05 2009 at 12:43am |
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Change the makeup of City Council, AND the County Commission!!!
Well, well, well...Hello Ms. Nancy "I have no further political ambitions" Nix, former Middletow city council person and member of the "in crowd"!!!
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“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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Pacman
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jun 02 2007 Status: Offline Points: 2612 |
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Posted: Aug 05 2009 at 1:18am |
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Mike did you see the Council Meeting last night. It is not a matter as to whether anyone agrees with what Jeff Michel's Petition is about as much as his Right to Pull the Petition and gather the appropriate signatures and have the matter placed on the November Ballot.
If the Matter is written as the Proposal in Exhibit "A" and it gets on the Ballot then that is the only choice that the voters have to make for the November Ballot. You either vote to change the Charter, Not to change it or not vote. I am not understanding what you are trying to say.
I am not saying whether I agree with the Proposal but I do agree with Mr. Michel's right to pull the petition according to the City Charter without being maligned for doing it.
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Pacman
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jun 02 2007 Status: Offline Points: 2612 |
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Posted: Aug 05 2009 at 1:19am |
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Randy you need to emmty you Private message box on MiddletownUSA.
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Mike_Presta
MUSA Council
Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483 |
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Posted: Aug 05 2009 at 1:49am |
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I am trying to say exactly what I said:
I may have confused things by omitting the fact that, if people prefer any of the other, LESS MANAGEABLE, council make-ups, they would have to either petition to put it on the ballot OR lobby city council to do so.
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“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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Ima B. Lever
MUSA Resident
Joined: Jul 23 2009 Status: Offline Points: 62 |
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Posted: Aug 05 2009 at 2:46am |
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QUESTIONS FOR ANITA SCOTT-JONES
Maybe you can ask Judy Gilleland or Doug Adkins for the readily available answers to the following questions at this Friday's meeting of the Housing Subcommittee of the City Council?
1) Of the $100,000 in HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds allocated for residential property demolition for the 5/1/2009 - 4/30/2010 Program Year, how many houses are targeted? Of these, how many are situated in Ward 2 and what are the property addresses?
2) Of the $2.144 million in HUD Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP - Round One) funding received by the City of Middletown, how many houses are targeted for demolition? Of these, how many are situated in Ward 2 and what are the property addresses?
3) Of the $400,000 plus in HUD Home Investments Partnerships (HOME) Program funds received by the City of Middletown for Down Payment/Closing Cost Assistance over the past two years, how many Ward 2 purchasers were aided out of the 75+ households? What are the property addresses of these Ward 2 first-time buyers?
4) Of the $2.144 million in HUD Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP - Round One) funding received by the City of Middletown, how many of the 20 vacant, foreclosed houses that are targeted for acquisition/rehabilitation/resale are situated in Ward 2 and what are the property addresses?
5) Of the $19+ million in HUD Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP - Round Two) funding that the City of Middletown applied for on July 17th, how many more vacant, foreclosed houses are there that will be targeted for acquisition/rehabilitation/resale? Of this amount, how many are situated in Ward 2 and what are the property addresses? |
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Ima B. Lever
MUSA Resident
Joined: Jul 23 2009 Status: Offline Points: 62 |
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Posted: Aug 05 2009 at 2:49am |
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MORE QUESTIONS FOR ANITA SCOTT-JONES: CITY'S "DOLLAR HOME" PROGRAM
Maybe you can ask Judy Gilleland or Doug Adkins for the readily available answers to the following questions at this Friday's meeting of the Housing Subcommittee of the City Council? Question 1: What do you know about the City's "Dollar Home" program of purchasing, rehabilitating and re-selling FHA foreclosed homes with HUD funds that was initiated in early 2006?
Question 2: Of the 10 homes deeded to the City by FHA, there's six that still have not been "REHABBED" in Ward 2. Were you aware that a sizable amount of HUD monies have been doled out for property taxes, insurance and maintenance since 2006? Did you know that significant City staff time has been spent on this project with very little to show?
Question 3: Have either of you ever sought information from the City's Community Revitalization Department relative to their "PLANS" for these six neglected houses?
Question 4: Since more than "THREE YEARS" have passed since this project was initiated, did you ever question the City's ability to undertake "MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR" City Council approved plans to dramatically undertake more HUD-funded housing?
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Pacman
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jun 02 2007 Status: Offline Points: 2612 |
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Posted: Aug 05 2009 at 6:45am |
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Mike I think we are mixing two different issues. I don't care if Michel's pulled a petition to change Council makeup or to allow everyone to paint their houses neon pink. It is simply his right to do so, regardless if you or I or anyone else approves of the subject of the petition or the wording.
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Mike_Presta
MUSA Council
Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483 |
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Posted: Aug 05 2009 at 7:04am |
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Yes, and I absolutely strongly agree!!! And I never meant to imply that I disagreed. If I somehow gave that impression, I sincerely regret doing so.
I guess that I am guilty of mixing two issues. While I am sure that the very intelligent, civic-minded readers of this forum find the substance of this particular petition chrystal clear, for many others who do not follow city affairs as closely, that may not be so. They may not understand that they could lobby council or even petition to add a referendum for any of the other council make-ups that they find more to their liking.
I am simply pointing out that something about THIS PARTICULAR CHOICE, as suggest both by the charter committee AND by this pettion sticks in my craw. It allows the choice ONLY of the change that makes future council the "MOST MANAGABLE" by groups such as "Moving Middletown Forward" that MAY not have the best interests of the entire citizenry at heart.
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“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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