Archive for Mayor Policastro

Does Village Government cede too much power to the Mayor?

by Rich · Comments (1)
05 Apr

Does the current structure of Village Government cede too much power and control to the Mayor?

Mariemont has always had a strong mayor or mayor-centric form of government which is the norm for small communities. In Mariemont the Mayor is elected for four years without term limits.

Six Village Council members with four year terms are the only counterbalance to the authority of the Mayor.  In January 2014, the two elected official positions of Village Clerk and Village Treasurer were eliminated and replaced with a Mayor appointed ‘Fiscal Officer.’

Typically, two or four Council candidates are nominated at an annual Village Town Meeting in March or April every other year and generally run unopposed. Many prominent residents believe the Village Town Meeting construct is an outmoded and antiquated system that as a ‘default result’ produces weak candidates due to a lack of resident participation. Moreover, councilmen receive nominal compensation of about $1000 per year for their volunteer time and efforts that includes many meetings that deal with mundane matters. It is easy to see why so few Villagers wish to become involved in local government and at the present time, most new recruits for Council are ‘persuaded’ as ‘friends of the Mayor’ to run for Council. It is not surprising that the turnover rate for Village Council members is quite high due to term expiration, resignations and relocation.

Unlike corporate America and larger nonprofit boards, the members of the Village Council are not selected based upon their competitive range of skills, knowledge and abilities and, as a consequence, there is limited diversity and narrow skill sets in council membership. Additionally, there is no formal Village Administrator to handle operations and provide input and feedback to the Mayor and Council.

To understand the dominant power and control equation enjoyed by the Mayor consider the following:

  1. All Departments report directly to the Mayor
  2. The Mayor crafts the agenda for Council Meetings
  3. The Mayor controls council committee appointments
  4. The Mayor restricts committee activities to those he personally assigns
  5. The Mayor unilaterally, without review or approval by Council, produces a monthly Mayor’s Bulletin for distribution to each household in the community
  6. The Mayor is a voting member on the Architectural Review Board
  7. The Mayor is the Chair of the Planning Commission and a voting member
  8. The Mayor maintains an official Village website that gives little transparency to Village Government
  9. The Mayor presides over very perfunctory bi-monthly Council Meetings that last an average of 18 minutes, in which real issues are seldom discussed
  10. The Mayor has a three minute time limit for any Village resident coming before Council.

My suggestions to improve the make-up of Mariemont Village Government include:

  1. Form a Membership or Governance Committee of Council to recruit qualified candidates for Council. The committee could be chaired by the Vice Mayor and comprised of an additional Council member, a Village resident appointed by MPF and a representative from the School Board for a total of 4 members.
  2. Modestly increase the compensation for the Mayor and Council members
  3. Hire an empowered Village administrator that has more than just clerical duties
  4. Reinstate the elected Office of Village Treasurer to act as an independent voice
  5. Increase the number of elected Councilmen to eight with the addition of two at-large-members identified by the Governance Committee
  6. The Mayor should be only an ex-officio member of the Planning and Architectural Review Boards
  7. Term limits: two successive terms for both the Mayor and Council members

 

Responses to this post from Mariemont Residents:

  1. “Agree with your assessment. There are likely 20 more examples of the lopsided nature of government in Mariemont.”
  2. “The problem stems from the mayor being too power hungry compounded by voter apathy and fear of reprisal. Without new faces, nothing will change.”
  3. “I think we would be better off pursuing term limits and would further support the hiring of a Village Administrator as the remedy for the over control of the Mayor.”
  4. “It should be emphasized that the Code of Ordinances governs the Village, and it specifically states that the Mayor reports to Council, not vice versa.”
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Categories : Community Issues, Editorial
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The Mayor’s Bulletin… Misinformation?

by Rich · Comments (0)
18 Apr

Chicken Little? “The sky is falling!”

Chicken Little is an endearing and amusing folk tale all of us have heard or told. It has a moral to it, warning us against hysterical beliefs that disaster is imminent or against being unreasonably afraid. The story of Chicken Little came to mind when I read the latest Mayor’s Bulletin (April 2014).

Despite the innocuous title, the Bulletin article “MARIEMONT.ORG IS THE ONLY OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE VILLAGE”  had little to do with websites. This was another  use of an “official” Mariemont publication, paid for by Mariemont taxpayers, that digresses from the topic of the Village of Mariemont website into a personal attack, an atttempt to intimidate and bully, and projection of unreasonable conclusions  on other issues. Let’s dissect this article from the Bulletin,hopefully making more rational comments and sense than it contained:

“MARIEMONT.ORG IS THE ONLY OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE VILLAGE”

“At Town Meeting, a few citizens were still confused about the Village’s website, so once again, I want to point out to everyone that the Village’s official website is www.mariemont.ORG.  The website with the domain name of www.mariemont.COM is NOT a Village-authorized site.”

  • The Village of Mariemont does not have statutory authority to authorize sites or domain names.
  • Mariemont.com has voluntarily and repeatedly expressed publicly and on its website that it is not connected to the Village government and is an independent site, presenting independent viewpoints and information on Mariemont and surrounding communities. These recurring attempts in the Mayor’s Bulletins to discredit it and diminish it border on libel.
  • Mariemont.com existed long before Mariemont.org!

“The publisher of this unofficial website wrote a letter to ODOT in support of running the Eastern Corridor through our South 80 Park – something we have vehemently opposed!”

  • Why continue to claim this is an “unofficial” site when it clearly is not Village sponsored nor paid for by the Village?
  • What relevance does this comment have to either web site?
  • What is the point of these repeated attempts to deride a differing viewpoint?  While some may not agree on the direction or objectives of the Eastern Corridor, it does not prevent one’s freedom of expression. Differences of opinion and the ability to express them are basic rights and recognized as a sign of a healthy democracy! Where is the respect for others’ opinions?

“Our experience with ODOT leads us to believe that they will use this letter against us, saying that it indicates support from Village residents to build the Eastern Corridor which would destroy our historic parkland and possibly cause us to lose our status as a National Historic Landmark by paving over an important historic Native America village site.”

  • What experiences with ODOT are being referenced here and why would these lead you to believe ODOT would use the letter against the Village? If you’re going to make these claims, provide FACTS, not opinions, assumptions or innuendos.
  • Does anyone seriously believe ONE letter will carry more weight or sway ODOT to act against Village wishes compared to the many opposing letters and opposition groups involved in this project? This is hyperbole at its finest.
  • What evidence exists Mariemont could lose its National Historic Landmark designation if the Eastern Corridor is built? Is there a letter from the Interior Department or cite from a federal act verifying this? My review of the National Historic Preservation Act and 36CFP Part 800 – Protection of Historic Properties did not indicate any reasons for losing an historic landmark designation. What’s the basis for this fear-mongering comment?

“What’s more, we have heard rumors that ODOT is using the four-lane Eastern Corridor like a ‘Trojan Horse’ to lay the groundwork for extending I-74 through our community and into Clermont County.”

  • Who told you these “rumors?” What evidence or facts were presented to give any substantiation to them? Was any investigation or fact finding conducted to verify or dismiss them?
  • Promoting unsubstantiated rumors in a Village sponsored publication would be unsavory and unctuous.

“Can you imagine an expressway running through the South 80 Park?  It would fill our quiet neighborhood with a constant roar of traffic and fill our air with pollution from the large volume of cars passing through.”

  • It already exists. What about the traffic, noise and pollution created every day from the 30,000 cars passing through the heart of Mariemont, and next to schools and parks? This is nothing more than pandering to the emotions of opponents to the Eastern Corridor.

“No longer would the South 80 Park and/or the Concourse be places for relaxing and enjoying nature as they were intended.  Because it is prone to flooding, the area could never be used for playfields or a shelter house. “

  • Because it’s prone to flooding, does that mean we can’t have the South 80 trails or camp site we’re using today? Schmidt baseball fields, Riverbend music center, and other facilities are located in the flood plain of the Ohio River and are used year after year, flood after flood. Why would the South 80 be any different?

“Obviously the publisher of this letter did not have all the facts or understand the significant ramifications of ODOT’s plans before sending that letter to ODOT.  Now that everyone is aware of how harmful this would be to the Village of Mariemont, we respectfully ask that this letter be rescinded and let ODOT know that, in the best interest of this community, the publisher no longer supports the construction of the Eastern Corridor.  Certainly anyone who cherishes the peace and tranquility that is the Village of Mariemont would not want it replaced with a major expressway! Please let it be known that you do not agree with the statement in the letter to ODOT! “

  • What is this obsession with a letter that was written two years ago expressing a differing viewpoint?
  • This is nothing more than a BULLYING tactic and attempt to discredit someone who has a difference of opinion.  Surely the Village has not become a community where people cannot disagree or have a difference of opinion?
  • Why isn’t the” publisher” mentioned several times in this article ever identified? Fear of libel?

While I initially applauded the purpose of the Mayor’s Bulletin to communicate regularly with residents of the community about issues, events and activities in the community, I cannot condone it for what it has become. It’s time for Mariemont Council and its Solicitor to stop allowing the use of taxpayer money to promote unfounded rumors, unsubstantiated claims, personal vendettas and personal agendas in a Village sponsored and paid publication.

The sky is not falling Chicken Little. it’s just a little thunder!

Mike Lemon

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Categories : Editorial
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The Mayor’s October ‘Bulletin’

by Rich · Comments (0)
29 Sep

The contributors to the Web site Mariemont.com are pleased that Mayor Policastro has reaffirmed (in his bulletin here) that Mariemont.com is not the ‘official’ website for the Village of Mariemont. Indeed, Mariemont.com is an independent website and has never held itself out as an official website for any portion of the Greater Mariemont experience.

Mariemont.com is a rich repository of information for the residents of Greater Mariemont with a complete listing of the Social Organizations within the Village, a Master Calendar of Village Events, an electronic version and archive of the Village TownCrier, and a fairly comprehensive business directory. In addition, it has a blog where fair, uncensored editorial content may be posted along with featured businesses, performances, events, awards, appointments, schools, sports, meetings, real-estate statistics, medical matters, editorial opinion and so on.

Mariemont.org is the official website of Village Government, but is not the ‘official’ website for the nonprofits, religious organizations, schools, businesses and most individuals residing in the Village.

For several years, council members and some of us have urged the Mayor to upgrade the Mariemont.org website and have even volunteered to help with this effort, but the Mayor has resisted. Now, using the taxpayer’s dime, he has hired an outside design firm to build the site. One wonders who is going to maintain the website with dynamic and current content.

P.S.

The editorial about the legalization of drugs alluded to in the Mayor’s Bulletin was the lead editorial that occupied an entire page on the Cincinnati Enquirer Opinion Page on Tuesday, September 17, 2013 and it can also be accessed on Mariemont.com by viewing the archived September blogs (dated September 1st). Both the Editorial Page Editor for the Enquirer, David Holthaus, and I were surprised that most of the ‘Letters to the Editor’ were very supportive of the ideas expressed in the article.

–Richard Wendel, Editor and an Administrator of Mariemont.com

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