Elyria Council welcomes three new members, names first Black female president

ELYRIA — In its first meeting of the 2026-27 session on Monday, Elyria City Council adopted its rules, voted on its first piece of legislation and made history by appointing Councilwoman Donna Mitchell, D-6th Ward, as the first Black woman to serve as Council President. Council also appointed former Council President Vic Stewart as clerk of Council and welcomed three new members to the 11-person body: Ed Doehne, D-3rd Ward; Gina Rothgery, D-at Large and Matthew Van Wormer, D-at Large. Prior to the meeting, all 11 members of the Council were ceremonially sworn in to their new positions by various appointed and elected officials of their choosing, including Sheriff Jack Hall, several local judges and Law Director Amanda Deery. All members of Council won their elections in November, and they will be up for reelection next in November 2027. Of the new members, Ed Doehne was sworn in first, by Lorain County Probate Judge Jim Walther while Doehne's wife, Tara, held the Bible. Doehne worked as an inspector in the Elyria Building Department for 17 years, and has worked in a similar role for Westlake for the past 12. "I am ready to get started," Doehne said Monday. "I am excited to get out in the neighborhoods and use this Council position as a way to get out and do some good in the community. That is going to be my biggest thing." Rothgery has worked for Elyria in various capacities since 1994 before her retirement last year. She was sworn in by her husband, Brian Rothgery, as her grandchildren Olivia Runkle, 3, and Logan Runkle, 6, held the Bible on which she swore. "I am glad that piece is over," Rothgery said. "Now I am excited to work with everybody. Just talking with all the council members tonight has been great, they seem like a great team that really works together." The last new member, and the last member of Council to be sworn in was Matthew Van Wormer, a branch manager at a local Huntington Bank. Unlike Doehne and Rothgery, 2025 was not Van Wormer's first run for office. He unsuccessfully challenged Andrew Lipian, I-1st Ward, in 2023. Van Wormer was sworn in by Law Director Amanda Deery, while his wife Amanda and three daughters; Colette, 12; Lydia, 8 and Evelyn, 5 held the Bible. Council voted on only one piece of legislation on Monday, approving a conditional use permit for the proposed 122-unit Black River Forge affordable housing development, but Van Wormer said it was a perfect meeting to start on. "Obviously, a daunting agenda this evening," Van Wormer said with a smile. "But, I think, a good one. It was a good first ordinance for the year, to get some development going on that side of town. I am just excited to be part of the process to move Elyria forward for the next generation." Prior to its regular meeting agenda, Council carried out its organizational meeting to appoint positions and adopt rules for the session. First, former Council President Vic Stewart, who declined to seek reelection in November, was named as the Clerk of Council by a unanimous vote of Council. Brenda Davis, D-2nd Ward, then made a motion to name Mitchell, who had served as president pro tempore under Stewart, as the new Council president. Mitchell was approved unanimously and became the first Black woman ever to serve in the post. "I am very proud to be Council president and I will do the job to the best of my ability," Mitchell said after the meeting. "Also, history was made tonight with my being the first Black female president." Davis was appointed president pro tempore, who leads meetings when the president is absent or unable to vote on a piece of legislation. The Democrats on Council voted to make Jack Cerra, D-7th Ward, the majority leader for the session while the independents, Lipian and Brad Armstrong, I-5th Ward, elected Armstong as the minority leader. Democrats outnumber independents by a 9-2 margin on Council, and the body has no Republican representation for the second term in a row. After the rules of Council were also set, the regular meeting commenced with a public hearing for the proposed Black River Forge project. The project is a proposed low-to-moderate income apartment building that will be located on West River Road North near its intersection with Griswold Road. It will receive Low Income Housing Tax Credits from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency and will be limited to residents making at or below 60 percent of the area median income, or AMI. Lorain County is in the Elyria-Cleveland Housing Market Area, which also includes Cuyahoga, Medina, Geauga and Lake counties. As of 2024, 60 percent of the area median income for that area was $40,860 for one person. For a household of four, 60 percent of the AMI was $58,320. No proponents or opponents of the project spoke during the public meeting, so when it was concluded Council voted unanimously to grant a conditional use permit for the project. The project will need several more approvals from the city before it is built. "This will be a big deal for the West River Road side (of Elyria) and affordable housing for residents and others that are looking to move into Elyria," Mayor Kevin Brubaker said after the vote. Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.