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Charter focus of Salem chamber fete

SALEM — A campaign to inform citizens about a proposed charter commission and a charter form of government kicks off during a legislative affairs luncheon Wednesday.

The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting the event at the Salem Community Center, 1098 N. Ellsworth Ave., with registration beginning at 11:30 a.m. and the lunch buffet at 11:45 a.m. The cost is $20 each for chamber members and $25 each for potential members and guests.

Former city council member and past chamber president Dave Nestic of Neztech Corp. is the speaker. According to a poster for the luncheon, the title of his presentation is “Charter Government: Give Salem a Chance … For More.”

“He just feels very strongly for the need for our city to go in that direction,” chamber executive director Audrey Null said.

Each year the chamber holds a legislative affairs luncheon to provide members with information about a topic that can have an effect legislatively either in the community or at the state level. This year the topic is charter government, since city council agreed to place the issue of whether to form a charter commission back on the fall ballot.

Last fall voters in the city of Salem said no to the idea of forming a charter commission to possibly come up with an alternative form of government that voters could then vote to either support or oppose in another year.

The margin of defeat was very narrow, so council decided to give the issue another shot this fall.

Once again, the ballot will contain two questions related to the charter commission. The first will ask whether a charter commission should be formed. The second will ask who should be named to the charter, giving voters a list of names that they have to narrow down to 15. The top 15 vote-getters will serve on the commission, if the voters agree to form it.

The commission would then be charged with writing up a charter for how government in the city could operate if voters approve. Currently, the city of Salem follows state statute, requiring an elected mayor, auditor, treasurer, council president, law director and seven city council members, with three at-large and four wards. Under a charter, the citizens could choose to hire a city manager who answers to council and acts as the administrator for day-to-day operations. Or they could keep what they have or have a number of commissioners who oversee certain aspects of the government operation.

Null stressed that the vote this fall is strictly to decide whether to form a charter commission — it’s not to pass a charter.

The chamber’s Legislative Affairs Committee agreed that the chamber should be advocating for the charter commission and the charter Board of Directors voted in late spring to promote the issue.

“We’re just going to have a dedicated company of volunteers to get the word out,” Null said.

A Political Action Committee (PAC) is being formed to put out printed material, handle signs and do some public events aimed at educating the public, she said.

While on city council, Nestic was one of the big proponents of considering a switch to a charter form of government by at least forming a commission to study the idea. He had first brought up the charter and his fellow council members agreed in placing the issue on the ballot.

He was disappointed when the commission question failed at the ballot box, but promised even as he was resigning his council seat that he would continue to help with the charter issue if council chose to try again.

Councilman Geoff Goll raised the issue earlier this year and the decision was made to wait until the fall election to return to the ballot.

The deadline for candidates to file to serve on the commission falls on Aug. 9 at the Columbiana County Board of Elections.

mgreier@salemnews.net

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