Marietta Council starts year with budget vote
Scales: Unpopular financial decisions are looming
Marietta City Councilman Mike Scales discusses the upcoming decisions that will need to be made regarding the city’s finances during a council meeting Monday morning at the Armory. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Marietta City Councilwoman Cassidi Shoaf, right, speaks about financial decisions officials will have to make as Councilmen Harley Noland, left, and Ben Rutherford listen during a council meeting Monday morning at the Armory. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Marietta City Council members pose for a group photo before the start of Monday’s meeting at the Armory. Pictured from left are Erin O’Neill, Bill Gossett, Bret Allphin, Mike Scales, Council President Susan Vessels, Harley Noland, Ben Rutherford and Cassidi Shoaf. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Photo by Evan Bevins From left, Marietta Municipal Court Judge Randall Jedlink administers the oath of office to Marietta Mayor Josh Schlicher as Schlicher’s wife, Amity, and daughters, Evelyn and Olivia, look on Monday morning at the Armory on Front Street. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Marietta Auditor Sherri Hess, left, shakes hands with Municipal Court Judge Randall Jedlink after being sworn in for her fourth term Monday morning at the Armory, as her husband Chris looks on. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Marietta Law Director Paul Bertram III, center, takes the oath of office before Municipal Court Judge Randall Jedlink, left, as wife Joyce A. Bertram holds the Bible Monday at the Armory on Front Street. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Marietta City Councilman Mike Scales discusses the upcoming decisions that will need to be made regarding the city’s finances during a council meeting Monday morning at the Armory. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Marietta City Councilwoman Cassidi Shoaf, right, speaks about financial decisions officials will have to make as Councilmen Harley Noland, left, and Ben Rutherford listen during a council meeting Monday morning at the Armory. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Marietta City Council members pose for a group photo before the start of Monday’s meeting at the Armory. Pictured from left are Erin O’Neill, Bill Gossett, Bret Allphin, Mike Scales, Council President Susan Vessels, Harley Noland, Ben Rutherford and Cassidi Shoaf. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Photo by Evan Bevins From left, Marietta Municipal Court Judge Randall Jedlink administers the oath of office to Marietta Mayor Josh Schlicher as Schlicher’s wife, Amity, and daughters, Evelyn and Olivia, look on Monday morning at the Armory on Front Street. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Marietta Auditor Sherri Hess, left, shakes hands with Municipal Court Judge Randall Jedlink after being sworn in for her fourth term Monday morning at the Armory, as her husband Chris looks on. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Marietta Law Director Paul Bertram III, center, takes the oath of office before Municipal Court Judge Randall Jedlink, left, as wife Joyce A. Bertram holds the Bible Monday at the Armory on Front Street. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
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Members of Marietta City Council took the oath of office on the first day of 2024 and approved a $39 million budget they acknowledged is just a starting point for the city's finances.
"This is just a document as a template for the coming year," Finance Committee Chairman Mike Scales, D-1st Ward, said during the Monday morning meeting in council chambers at the Armory on Front Street. "We're going to have to sit down and reevaluate everything.
"Decisions are going to have to be made this year (that aren't) going to be popular," he said.
The budget was put together by the administration this fall and reviewed by council's Finance Committee. Scales said after the meeting that the city's long-term revenue and expenses need to be evaluated to decide how to proceed going forward.
That process gets underway today with a Finance Committee meeting to be held at 5:30 p.m. at 304 Putnam St., followed by a meeting of council as the Committee of the Whole at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday in the Armory. Both meetings will be held in closed, executive session to discuss long-term financial issues for the city. Scales said no action will be taken after the executive sessions end.
Council voted unanimously to suspend the second and third readings of the budget ordinance, then approved it 6-1, with newly elected Councilman Ben Rutherford, R-At Large, opposed.
Rutherford said Scales and the administration "have done a phenomenal job of making that budget plain and clear." But he said he sees the purpose of a budget as indicating where an organization is going and what it hopes to accomplish and that isn't clearly articulated at this point.
"I can't in good conscience vote for something that I don't know what our priorities are," he said.
Councilman Bret Allphin, D-2nd Ward, said he was voting yes "with great concern" about the decisions yet to be made. Councilwoman Cassidi Shoaf, R-at large, said the city needs to make "foundational changes" to ensure it remains solvent in the future.
"I am not looking forward to what those changes have to be," she said.
Joining Rutherford as a new member was Councilwoman Erin O'Neill, D-4th Ward, appointed to the seat after Geoff Schenkel accepted a position as the city's development director.
"I have every faith with this group ... that we're going to be able to tackle some of these big issues in the year ahead," she said.
Councilman Harley Noland, D-At Large, said he looks forward to "a year of creative change."
In other business, council voted unanimously to suspend the second reading of a pair of ordinances to eliminate the position of wastewater operations manager and create the position of wastewater collections foreman. Shoaf, who chairs the Employee Relations Committee, said the suspension was done so the third and final reading of the ordinance could occur at the Jan. 18 regular council meeting.
The legislation is intended to coincide with the retirement of Wastewater Superintendent Steve Elliott. As Ryan Boley moves into the position, they want to change the job he's moving out of.
"It's a cost savings, so we're happy about that," Shoaf said.
Budget Director Mitch Dimmerling estimated the change will save about $10,000 a year.
Council also voted unanimously to suspend the second and third readings of ordinances authorizing the city to advertise for bids and enter contracts to purchase up to 400 tons of rock salt, 20,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 40,000 gallons of gasoline.
"At this point in time, gasoline and diesel seem to be down, so it looks like a good time to purchase because you never know what the future may hold," said Streets and Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Gossett, R-3rd Ward.
The second and third readings of a resolution stating the city's intent to dispose of excess property via online auction in the coming year were also suspended and the resolution passed 7-0.
An hour before the meeting, newly elected and reelected city officials were sworn in. Retired Washington County Common Pleas Judge Ed Lane administered the oath of office to Democrats, while Municipal Court Judge Randall Jedlink swore in the Republican members of council, as well as Auditor Sherri Hess, Law Director Paul Bertram and Mayor Josh Schlicher.
During the meeting, council unanimously voted to approve the reappointment of council Clerk Michele Newbanks. A 6-0 vote approved Scales as president pro tempore, with Scales abstaining.
Council also voted unanimously to make Monday's special meeting the first regular meeting of the month, so there will be no meeting on Thursday.
Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.