St. Clairsville residents deserve better governance than they are getting from City Council.
It appears that on Monday, council violated the Ohio Open Meetings Act by casting votes to appoint two members to the recreation board via email. During a meeting conducted by teleconference, members cast what amounted to secret ballots by sending their votes in by email. While the result of the vote was announced council reappointed incumbents Alicia Freeman and Diane Schubert to the board those listening to the meeting had no way to know which council members had voted for which candidates.
The “2021 Ohio Sunshine Laws Manual” published by Attorney General Dave Yost’s office states: “A public body must make all of its meetings open to the public at all times. Secret ballots, whispering of public business, and ’round-robin’ discussions are all prohibited under the openness requirement.”
Times Leader Staff Writer
ST. CLAIRSVILLE St. Clairsville City Council appears to have violated the Ohio Open Meetings Act on Monday, when members cast votes on board appointments via email.
According to the “2021 Ohio Sunshine Laws Manual” published by Attorney General Dave Yosts’s office: “A public body must make all of its meetings open to the public at all times. Secret ballots, whispering of public business, and ’round-robin’ discussions are all prohibited under the openness requirement.”
Members of the public who listened to the council meeting that was conducted via teleconference heard no information about which council members voted for which nominees incumbent recreation board members Alicia Freeman and Diane Schubert and the newly nominated Lisa Amos but heard the results of the vote.
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Times Leader Staff Writer
ST. CLAIRSVILLE Questions and confusion about the latest nominations to fill two expiring terms on the city recreation board for the J.B. Martin Recreation Center dominated the Monday teleconference meeting of St. Clairsville City Council.
After more than a half-hour of debate, council voted in favor of current board members Diane Schubert and Alicia Freeman, daughter of Councilwoman Linda Jordan. Their terms had been set to expire April 17. Each will serve another five-year term.
Councilman Perry Basile had nominated Lisa Amos.
Council members were unsure if one or both terms were set to expire this month, and some members suggested putting off the vote until a later meeting until this could be determined. When Jordan did not withdraw her nomination of Freeman, Law Director Elizabeth Glick consulted prior council minutes and found Schubert had filled an ongoing term rather than a complete one, and so both of the council’s nominations were open.