Here is what I sent to Ms Kaleps–
I see that you are leading the charge to change the rules of the council.  From a resident it is absolutely wrong.   It seems you are spearheading the effort to remove the mayor for different boards.  Why now, the previous mayor was part of everything….Tom McMasters is our mayor and was fairly elected and now changing the rules because he is asking tough questions on how the cities money is spent and accounted for and getting the word out to the residents to have them become better and more involved in their community.  Wow this is what I hear.  If this is accurate shame on you and the rest of the council.  It is everyone's money in the city.  Taking an elected official out of the process is not democratic…why because you and the rest of the council do not like his tough questions; or he does not go with the flow…There is only so much money in the pot to use and mortgaging our cities future by cooking the books and moving money around and trying to hang everything on the police and fire is wrong.  I understand the different types of money as I have run several military installations and I know how to move money around.  While it is not the same as in the city the overall concept is the same.  While some money is fenced and can only be used for certain things others are used in one big pot and distributed as the city sees fit.  Let me give you an example…last year we had a very mild winter and probably had excess funds, the money was probably moved somewhere else and now we have this winter and the city is saying overtime, salt reserves etc. are making us go broke.  Well, all years are different and one year should not be the factor to cry I broke…better planning and stockpiles would have taken care of most…The mayor is an elected by the city residents and pushing him out because he is MAKING the people be accountable and also working hard to get the word out to the residents is good not bad…Asking tough questions of the council makes them be accountable and makes the city better in the long haul.  Tom needs to have a vote on different boards and needs to chair the administration committee.  I look forward to you answers and dialog with you on the rationale of the changes.  I also understand there will probably be a levy on the August ballot for an income hike.  Remember the last time…it was voted down by almost an 80-20 margin.  The school levies were likewise voted down…by the same margins.  Why you might ask.  You and the rest of the council along with the previous mayor would not articulate the need and requirement and additional money and have open communication and hanging everything on the cause is police and fire cost….I think you are wrong.  Without communicating with the residents the next time any increase in property tax, school levies will go down to defeat by equal margins.  I think you and the other council members need to look the residents and public articulate what is in the best interest of Huber.  Make the case.  If it is voted down, plan something different.  There are always many more ways to solve problem, just not in vacuum.  You and the city council need to be held accountable for each and every action and full and open debate of the good and bad is required.  Tom is not against different plans and initiatives, he just want s to make sure we address each and every concern.  By electing a mayor and then because he asks tough questions and then changing the rules and put him as an outcast will be a larger PR headache for you the city council etc. by making elected officials outcasts and the ability to do anything good for the city, residents and getting justifiable funds for the residents will be flushed out and nothing will get done.  In this day and age, the power of information, from the web, facebook, TV newspapers will consume time and shed bad light on the city and council…I do not think that it is what we need…Make the right decision with draw these changes, make Tom the chair of the Administrative Board, and be open and honest about the books…I am fully aware of the big plans the city has for the Heights Area development, but you and everyone needs to be open and honest will all.  I look forward to feedback.  This might be a little long and rambling but I apologize up front.

Mayor McMasters: I contacted Congressman Turner's office representative here in Dayton and ask questions regarding where do I go to address concerns of the management of the Huber Heights City business as administered by the City Counsel.

 He advised me that the City Mayor is the person who has this oversight authority, and to go to him.

 Regarding the City Counsel filling the City Manager position, I believe this should be posted in the Dayton Daily News and outside professional experienced people interviewed. We need a professional person who is in support of the city residents first. The present acting person in my view is not qualified for this "highly educated business knowledgeable requirements position".

I am in agreement that the Mayor become Chairman of the Administration committe. This is one of the most needed things at this time due to the alleged mismanagement of the city funds and our tax dollars.

I am not in agreement with Conncilmember Kalep proposed changes to the Rules of council. This is not standard to other city governments in the Dayton Area to which most of them are very successful in managing their city governments (ie. Kettering).

I believe any changes to the authority of the city council or the Mayor, should be presented to the residents to vote on.

 Sincerely,
 Thomas Wood

I had a resident write to his council member concerning this issue.  His email was on target but I thought compelled to respond with additional information.  Here is what I wrote:

Below you will find the email inquiry I sent to Mr. Schaeffer.  Note that he never acknowledged the inquiry and I was unaware he had undertaken the task until Tuesday night when it was revealed he had consulted with other council members to conduct a total re-write of the Rules of Council that removed nearly all the duties and privileges of the Mayor.    

As another piece of information at the previous Council meeting Ms Vargo had requested we talk about the Rules of Council requirement to discuss agenda items in committee meetings before they were allowed on the agenda for a regular session. This is item M 2. found on page 5 of the Rules of Council.  Mr. Campbell had taken that task as head of the Administration Committee and will claim that task is what prompted him to "modernize" the document (which was last modified this past December and took effect Jan 1st).  

Tom McMasters
Mayor of Huber Heights

________________________________________
From: McMasters, Tom
Sent: Friday, February 14, 2014 9:33 AM
Subject: Voting as an ex-officio committee member

Alan,

The second paragraph in Section 4.04 of the City Charter calls out that the Mayor shall serve as an ex-officio member of all Council appointed committees.

The rules of council also address this in Section V. Committees

The Mayor shall be an ex-officio member of all committees. Committee Chairs shall advise the Mayor of all committee meetings at the same time that members are notified of such meetings.

Tony advises me the question of whether the Mayor as an ex-officio has a voting privilege has not previously been posed because it is always assumed the Mayor does not.

In researching this issue it appears that many organizations have also made this assumption but have recently become aware by reviewing Roberts Rules of Order that the default privileges of an ex-officio member of committees include voting privileges within that committee.

The only item presently that I see that would counter an interpretation that the Mayor would be a voting member of committees can be found in the first paragraph of section 4.04, â€cethe Mayor shall be a member of Council but shall not have the right to vote on issues before Council”.  However, if I recall correctly the definition of â€ceissues before Council” is defined differently than â€ceissues before Committees”

Please advise as to whether as an ex-officio member of the committees the Mayor has voting privileges within the committees.

Thanks

Tom McMasters
Mayor of Huber Heights