No Respect for Law, Residents
Ohio Revised Code 1545 is the law that enabled citizens of Geauga County to take steps to create our Geauga Park District 56 years ago.
Under this law, citizens petition their probate judge to establish a county park system with the judge appointing a three member Board of Park Commissioners.
Ohio law states that a probate judge has the authority to appoint county park commissioners and to remove county park commissioners, period.
One of the wise provisions of ORC 1545 establishes a method for ensuring continuity in park governance and stewardship by staggering the terms of the park commissioners. This practice assures that a newly appointed commissioner would join two previously appointed commissioners who had at least one and two years of experience already under their belts.
Common sense, rather than explicit legal provisions, calls for the appointment of park board commissioners who have relevant experience and an understanding of conservation, and who respect the wishes of Geauga residents. This simple, sensible system worked smoothly in Geauga County over the course of five decades.
Timothy J. Grendell now sits as probate judge and this simple, sensible system does not seem to suit his needs.
This judge fired all three park commissioners at once and has appointed and removed a series of park commissioners who have not had the benefit of experienced colleagues to work with.
Geauga Park District under Judge Grendell took a public survey in 2015 and the results were ignored. Public comment at park board meetings has been eliminated. Judge Grendell appears to have no respect for Ohio law or for the residents of Geauga County.
And now, this judge wants lawmakers in Columbus to give him more power over parks.
Judge Grendell has written a bill for state senators and representatives to consider. If you think that it is not necessary, and would be harmful, to change Ohio law to give more power to a probate judge over our parks, then please take a simple action. You can visit www.protectgeaugaparks.us to find out who to contact in Columbus to express your opposition to HB 218, the bill written by Judge Tim Grendell to increase his power over our parks.
Kathleen O. Webb
Munson Township
‘Fair Districts = Fair Elections’
The verb “gerrymander” means to manipulate the boundaries of an electoral constituency to favor one party or class. The word was first invented in 1812, when Gov. Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts signed a bill that redistricted the state to benefit his party. A political cartoon of the distorted districts in the Boston area was said to resemble a salamander. The district came to be known as Governor Gerry’s Salamander. Over the years this was shortened to gerrymandering.
Currently in Ohio, the state legislature is responsible for drawing congressional districts and bipartisan approval is not required. In 2015, an overwhelming majority of Ohio voters (71.5 percent) voted to establish the bipartisan Ohio Redistricting Commission. Now there is a bipartisan initiative to amend Article XI of the Ohio Constitution to transfer responsibility for redrawing congressional district lines to this Ohio Redistricting Commission.
The Ohio Redistricting Commission consists of the Governor, the Secretary of State, the Auditor of State and one person each appointed by the Ohio House and Senate Majority and Minority leaders.
No member of Congress may serve on the Commission.
To adopt a congressional map, the plan must be supported by a majority of the Commission, including at least two members of the minority party. Each district will be nearly equal in population (one person, one vote). Districts shall be geographically contiguous and compact, and the plan shall minimize the splitting of counties, municipalities and townships, and no county shall be split more than once.
Fair Districts = Fair Elections. This initiative is endorsed by the League of Women Voters of Ohio and 26 other organizations. Three hundred thousand signatures from 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties are needed to get this initiative on to the Ohio ballot in November and there are only a few weeks left to collect them. We need 2,000 signatures from Geauga voters by July 4. That number is 5 percent of the vote in the last gubernatorial election.
So, when you are approached by someone with this petition, give them your time and your signature. This is for you and your future. Districts will be redrawn after the 2020 census.
Cris Takacs
Chardon
