Lorain city charter issue passes

LORAIN — Amherst could soon be the last statutory city in the county, with a Lorain charter commission issue passing Tuesday, according to unofficial election results. Issue No. 25, forming a charter commission and electing its members, passed with 12,359 votes or 59 percent of electors supporting the measure. This is the first step in the city's process to change its form of government to allow for more home rule authority. The charter commission will now have a year to draft a plan for what type of governing model the city should have — changes could include the number of Council members and whether or not they are partisan, if there is a city manager, and how much power the mayor holds. Lorain and Amherst are the only two statutory cities in the county, meaning their style of government is dictated by Ohio Revised Code. The push for a charter commission was started in part by Tia Hilton, of Amherst Township, and attorney Gerald Phillips, of Avon Lake. It came from concerns surrounding the city's high water and sewer rates. Phillips, Hilton and others collected last-minute petitions forcing City Council to place the issue on the November ballot, threatening a lawsuit if Council members voted against the measure. Those same individuals who initially wanted the charter attempted to pull the issue from the ballot in late September, just weeks after City Council voted for the issue to appear in the first place. The issue could not be removed from the ballot, according to Board of Elections Director Paul Adams. With the question of whether a charter commission being formed passing, 15 individuals from a slate of 35 candidates will be sworn in as commission members and subject to Ohio's open meetings laws. Those members, according to unofficial results are: Jack Bradley (8,447 or 5.41 percent) Tim Carrion (7,550 or 4.84 percent) Tony Dimacchia (7,256 or 4.65 percent) Dennis Flores (6,260 or 4.01 percent) Ted Kalo (7,209 or 4.62 percent) Joel Arredondo (5,649 or 3.62 percent) David Arredondo (4,972 or 3.19 percent) Mary Santiago (5,505 or 3.53 percent) Terri Soto (6,244 or 4 percent) AJ Torres (5,812 or 3.72 percent) Ruben Torres (4,906 or 3.14 percent) Jessie Tower (4,986 or 3.20 percent) Karen Shawver (5,200 or 3.33 percent) Ricardo Soto (5,034 or 3.23 percent) Lori Olson (4,419 or 2.83 percent) It is unclear if current members of City Council can serve on the commission. A 1971 Ohio Attorney General's opinion states "a member of a city council … may not serve as a member of a municipal charter commission," but the opinion is roughly 50 years old and could be re-examined. Councilman Tony Dimacchia, D-at large, and Council President Joel Arredondo were both in the top 15 vote-getters from the candidate list. Lorain previously attempted to create a charter in the early 1990s, but voters rejected the final draft completed by the commission. Contact Carissa Woytach at 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.