TUESDAY WAS A WAKE UP CALL FOR A LOT OF LOCAL POLITICIANS

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Rather than blame individuals for losses at the polls, Maple Heights City Hall should have been astute enough to smell the political and economic climate.

A Washington Times editorial:

"Voters are smarter than the politicians sometimes figure. Tuesday wasn’t a good day only for the men and women running for office under the Republican banner; it was a smashing day for lower taxes, responsible spending and government transparency as well. Ballot measures everywhere put economic policy to the ultimate test.

A stick-it-to-the-rich proposal on the ballot in Nevada would have imposed a 2 percent tax on businesses with more than $1 million in annual revenues. The money collected was to have been earmarked for public schools, but voters saw through the “for the children” ruse and realized increasing the cost of doing business by $750 million was a dumb thing to do in a stagnant economy. This big idea was thumped by a 4-to-1 margin on Tuesday.

Tennessee voters had the good judgment to amend the state constitution to forbid state and local governments from implementing an income tax. This will preserve Tennessee’s reputation as a good place to live and do business. Georgia has an income tax, so residents decided to minimize the damage politicians can do by voting 3-to-1 to cap the income-tax rate so that lawmakers will be powerless to raise it in the future.

Even blue states such as Massachusetts are warming to fiscal responsibility. Residents weary of living in a state nicknamed “Taxachusetts” repealed a law enacted last year that automatically raises the state gasoline tax every year by the inflation rate. They jettisoned a scheme to apply bottle-deposit fees to containers of water, juice, sports drinks and most other beverages.

Legislators in Maryland and Wisconsin have made raiding their state transportation funds to finance pet projects an annual rite of passage, so voters have fought back with constitutional amendments preventing a raid on fuel taxes and motor-registration fees to pad the general fund. The limitations garnered more than 80 percent of the vote.

The vote tallies were also big at the local level. In Cleveland and its suburb Maple Heights, Ohio, voters repudiated the city council’s decision to station automated highwaymen on every street corner. Ballot initiatives forbidding local officials from using revenue cameras passed by three-fourths of the vote. When the city council in St. Peters, Mo., refused to listen to constituents on the issue, the St. Charles County Council proposed a charter amendment prohibiting revenue speed cameras within the county limits — including St. Peters. It passed with 73 percent of the vote."

Until many local politicians "wake up and smell the political and economic coffee" their cities will continue to decline not just in population, but a decline in more services and more revenue.  Voters hate non-accountable, judgmental, "try to scare you to death", non transparent, bullying, money grabbing politicians; and some things are more important to voters than salary giveaways to certain government employees,  padding certain pensions, and allowing *more and more non-residents to serve as local government employees (which helps stifle local economies - there needs to be a balance).

It's time to listen to the majority of city residents and not the few!!

Voters shutter red-light cameras: Editorial cartoon

"Traffic cameras are automated speed traps that have sped over the public's right to due process.   The money they generate amounts to a traffic tax.    70% of the automated tickets were issued to drivers from outside the city.    Every street that has the cameras essentially becomes a toll road."

The courts have done an injustice to many cities in Ohio

by allowing unyielding non residency requirements and that's a shame.

* For residency requirements

• Local control/home rule • Spends local tax dollars on residents/taxpayers • Stems "middle-class" flight and provides economic stability to certain urban neighborhoods • Provides employment for residents • Provides racial and ethnic balance in public employment jobs • Benefit of certain workers living in close proximity to their work station • Benefit of staff living and working in the communities they protect and educate • Longer commute times impact employees, congestion, and transportation infrastructure • Money circulates within the city helping to stabilize the local economy Resentment by local residents is quelled.

COMMENT: MAPLE HEIGHTS AFRICAN AMERICAN GAZETTE, MAY 18, 2014

We are delighted that Councilman Bill Brownlee (District 5) has been successful in illuminating some of the functions/events in Maple Heights governance with his videos of council meetings, etc. 

 

This is a huge step in "open government" in Maple Heights.



Throughout 2012 and 2013 we watched what we consider obstruction to “open government” in Maple Heights.

 

Unfortunately, this year we also witnessed the shocking and successful attempts by council leadership, to repeatedly silence Councilman Brownlee. This councilman does not yell, stomp his feet, wave his hands, or physically attack anyone.  Yet, the council leadership has sought this councilman’s physical removal from a council meeting (by a member of law enforcement [***]) on more than one occasion.

Can anyone recall when a councilman/woman was threatened with being physically removed by a member of the police force unless he/she stop talking?

   

Regarding "Music in the Park" series 2012/2013:

Meeting after meeting we've watched various members of Maple Heights city council and/or people who have backed the mayor, come out in support and praise of the Director of Human Services.   

 

There is no denial of the good works that come out of that department.  What we do object to, and that many (especially of European ancestry) fail to grasp, is the (in our opinion)  major highlighting of European culture (which is the director's background) over the culture and background of the majority of the residents who happen to be African American.  Research after research has exposed the systemic design to deny AfricanAmerican culture and history in the United States.

 

Our residents are in dire need of money; yet (in our opinion), the “Music in the Park” donations flow to those of predominantly European ancestry and to those who live outside the city.  This was pointed out to that department (again) last year, and the result was the use of the “N” word in the comment section of a 2012 (Music in the Park) post; followed by council (who were –and still are- predominantly of European background) contributing to a singer with the same ancestry; and the series staying pretty much the same.  This arrogance should have sent a chill (and “wake up call”) through the Maple Heights African American community. 

 

The cancelling (?) of the “Music in the Park” series (this year) which we’ve been told has always been funded through solicited donations, was seen by us as defiance for our persistence in asking that department  to highlight the culture/background of the majority in Maple Heights and giving the majority of those donations to those entertainment groups who represent the racial/cultural majority and who actually live in our city.  We feel it is and should have been the responsible and financially sound thing to do.

 

 

Related:

The Importance of Culture


The Need For Afrikan Culture and Traditions


The Importance of Black History
 

African-American culture - Wiki

 

Dr. Joy DeGruy - Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome


open government

 

Inside the Groundbreaking of the National Museum of African American

 

Homeland - African American Roundtable - Culture and Identity


***May 14, 2014 - Special Meeting (Part 1) threat to remove councilman by a member of law enforcement (SEE 17 MINUTES INTO VIDEO)

 

ARE YOU A VICTIM OF "COLOR OF LAW" ABUSES?

On August 23, 2013, I sent an email to the Maple Heights council president, and in that email I made the following statement "Considering that I had to take out a loan to pay my current property taxes, I want to know where every penny is going, and how it's being used.  This is more than a hint on how I'm going to vote on the levy in November.". [Full text]     *see my other comments at the bottom of this post

Well I didn't get a response to that email or an email of concern and wanting to help in some way to ease my tax burdens.  What did happen after the 2013 tax levy was defeated ... I received a letter (dated 12/3/2013) from my mortgage company stating  "A recent review of tax records has revealed delinquent taxes on the property securing the above referenced loan." It referenced $221.05, and a threat was made that if "I don't pay the $221.05, my mortgage company may exercise the option to pay those taxes, and the amount of the payment will be deducted from my escrow account and if I don't have an escrow account, one will be set up for me."  Well folks, months ago, I set up  payment arrangements with "Cuyahoga County" and presently only owe $37 which will be deducted from my checking account per that agreement.  I also have  monies deducted from my checking account to pay for taxes due in January.

Note:  Actually I may have been eligible for hardship assistance (due to excessive medical bills, etc); but chose a payment plan for the entire amount instead. 



Additional Note: Around the same time, I also got a letter from the IRS saying I owed them $149.17.   A simple misunderstanding and luckily that problem was solved quickly.

Now I'm not sure if my email caused someone in Maple Heights government to  inquire  about  my tax affairs to cause problems for me, but the letters and their timing  sure seemed damn suspicious.  See, I'm a senior citizen who criticizes Maple Heights government and asks questions ... questions that from responses I've received or lack of response, indicate to me that the leadership in Maple Heights is not happy with my criticisms or questions or requests. 

What I had uncovered previously was that the company mentioned in the letter I received, a company called Corelogic (2), I've seen in public records dealing with Maple Heights government, and whose tentacles in the mortgage (property) business, etc  are spread throughout Ohio and across the United States.

More troubling:

In 2012, I asked for public records related to salaries, benefits, ethnic code, etc of Maple Heights public employees.  I was completely ignored until I started posting my "public records request" emails on this blog.

***I must have rattled some cages with those requests and other questions and concerns because one day in July 2012 while I was in the drive-thru line at Wendy's, several cop cars pulled into the Wendy's parking lot.  The officers parked their cars, got out and approached my car and hung around my car until I picked up my cell phone and called my mother (to tell her about those officers) .. the officers then got back into their patrol cars and drove out of that parking lot.  I jotted down the tag on one of the police cars, and when I got home I called and emailed a number of people to let them know what had happened, and gave them the number on the tag.

This year:

At the end of June, Channel 3 did a story about a former Maple Heights officer accused of excessive force.  I had a link to that story posted on this blog around July 3rd or 4th.  On July 5th, within minutes of putting out my trash, my video relay camera on my home captured a white male in (what appeared to be) a bullet proof vest walking up my drive way, past my side door.  In that person's hand looked like a gun. It was raised while he walked up my driveway, and then pointed in front of him (toward the ground) when he walked by my side door.  

I sent the video and photo to a number of people to get  their opinion because I didn't want to overreact.  I even called the electric, gas, water companies to see if they were in the area reading meters (they said no).  Most of the people I sent the video and photo to said the white male was holding a gun.

Days later I called my attorney and Channel 3 because I wanted to know what this person (who appeared to be law enforcement) was doing on my property.  It was a deadly serious issue, because aside from questions related to my safety,  I actually could have been shot because I was behind my home dealing with the trash for 10 minutes or so (before the incident), and if you saw how he moved past my side door into my back yard, it would have been very likely that I could have been killed/murdered. 

I eventually obtained police service records (which, by the way, took a call from the NAACP to obtain) for the day in July (2012), and July 5, 2013.  Both times the police were in the vicinity on a call, but it appeared to me that both times they decided to take a side trip (if you know what I mean) that had nothing to do with the business at hand, but may have been an attempt to intimidate or worse. 

What you may not know is the leadership in Maple Heights is predominantly white and the police force (at that time) had only one African American officer (I believe we now have 2).  The city of Maple Heights is suffering financially, and over 68% of the population is African American; and if you know the history of blacks in this country, especially the history surrounding white law enforcement and the criminal justice system (see below), you know that for many black folk, to have to deal with people who can and have murdered blacks with impunity is especially daunting and sickening; and the fact most of their (predominantly white [male] Maple Heights police) salary is paid by the predominantly African American community (and we only have 1 or 2 blacks on the force) is insulting and offensive.

So why did I tell you my story?  Because I want to (with a new year approaching) still let people know what's going on in Maple Heights; and because it is a story told by thousands of African American and Hispanic individuals, and nothing is done.  The police force remains predominantly white in predominantly African American communities, and they continue to intimidate, harass and murder African Americans and Hispanics with impunity.  If you want to change these things, you have to change the leadership in your community, and you must file a federal complaint (and/or call the NAACP) if you think you're the target of a "color of law abuse" or a government employee is trying to intimidate/frighten you.  Make sure you back up everything you do and keep good records and keep copies of everything related to the incident.  Also tell friends and family about suspicious incidents, etc., give them copies of things related to the incident, and watch out for each other.  Finally, be very careful and obey the law, because the "color of law" abuser  will probably  try to deflect (and/or cover up) his/her/their behavior and try to  embarrass or discredit or create problems for the  complainant or  whistle blower  (that's why, if you're an African American, you need to get the NAACP involved and if necessary the "ColorofChange").  If you're a senior citizen,  there are additional laws to protect you against various kinds of abuse and you may want to include filing a complaint on that level too.

I also think the African American community needs to see  if there is a pattern of abuse and intimidation against African Americans who run for public office or serve in a public office, and a pattern of abuse and intimidation against African Americans who speak out and ask questions, complain, or request information that they are entitled to receive.


We also need (more money going to) community/neighborhood (paid) policing by people who actually live in our communities, and there should be regular public meetings with those who "protect and serve" and residents. 



Do try to remember:
It's your community ... you can design whatever kind of police/security presence you want (public or private), with advisory boards (under federal purview), and policies that protect you from abuse and protect your constitutional rights.

[To be further edited]


 Color of Law Abuses

Deprivation of Rights


Retired Police Officer Gets Choked Up Reflecting On The Injustices


The Year the Prison System Changed? 



[BEAUTIFUL STRUGGLER] Jonathan Ferrell: Supposed to Die?



Black Codes



Black Holocaust in America

Black Skin, White Justice: Race Matters in the Criminal Justice System by Gary Highsmith

Police addicted to drug money: Column



Save the Dream Ohio Programs



*After you read the full text of the email I sent the council president ...... I want you to  guess who swore the council president in at the "swearing in ceremony" in January.   Yes, ... the law director (who answers to the mayor, who also serves as safety director - see Maple Heights City Charter,

"Article VIII, SECTION 3.  DEPARTMENT OF SAFETY; DIVISIONS OF POLICE AND FIRE.

   

The Department of Safety shall be under the direct charge of the Mayor, who shall be the Director of Safety.

   The Department of Safety shall consist of a Division of Police and a Division of Fire. The Safety Director shall make all necessary rules and regulations for the government of these Divisions and shall be charged with the duty of enforcing within the limits of the City all police, sanitary and safety regulations that are prescribed by ordinance or by the general laws of the State. Each division shall be composed of such officers and employees as may be provided by ordinance or resolution of the Council, unless otherwise provided for in this Charter. The Safety Director shall keep a detailed and complete record of all activities of these Divisions, and shall cause each employee of the Department to make report of his or her activities.

   The Director of Safety shall have the authority to suspend any employee of this Department for incompetency, gross neglect of duty, gross immorality, drunkenness, failure to obey orders given by the proper authorities, or for any just and reasonable cause. Any employee may appeal from such decision to the Civil Service Commission. In such event the Mayor shall forthwith transmit a copy of the charges and proceedings and the Commission shall hear such appeal and may affirm, disaffirm or modify the judgment, and its judgment in the matter shall be final.)."

--


Now go over to the public records request page on this blog, and you'll understand my growing concern.


Additional background information:
Maple Heights population has been in steady decline since at least 2007 (remember the mortgage crisis).  A number of us questioned the salary of the mayor given that decline and looking at other cities and mayors who were facing financial crisis.  Anyway, Maple Heights council in 2012 did a brave thing and reduced the mayor's salary (to take effect in 2016 (?) ).


The mayor vetoed the resolution.  ***On the day of the police incident at Wendy's restaurant (mentioned above), I emailed the council president and asked if council could override the mayor's veto.  The council president answered my email and said "yes".   That night at council meeting, they voted and override the mayor's veto. [awesome]

THINKING OF RUNNING FOR MAPLE HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL IN 2013?

If you're planning on running for Maple Heights City Council, you must file 90 days prior to the primary election.
 

 

JUNE 12, 2013 IS THE DEADLINE
(MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE REQUIRED # OF SIGNATURES. - BUT TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE, GET MORE THAN IS REQUIRED - CALL THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS [216.443.3298] ).  CLICK HERE FOR THE OHIO CANDIDATE REQUIREMENT GUIDE.


 

 OFFICIAL SITE FOR CUYAHOGA COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS

 

 

RELATED:

From Ballotpedia

A Maple Heights City Candidate Filing Deadline Amendment measure was on the November 6, 2012 election ballot in Cuyahoga County, which is in Ohio where it was approved.

This measure amended the Maple Heights City Charter to establish a deadline for candidate filing.^[1]

Election results

Issue 66
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		5345	60.86%
No		3437	39.14%

Election results from Cuyahoga County, Current Election Results

Text of measure

Language on the ballot:

“	Shall Article XVIII, Section 3(e), of the Charter of the City of Maple Heights be amended to change the candidate filing deadline to 90 days prior to the primary election?

THE NEED FOR AN INDEPENDENT CIVILIAN REVIEW BOARD IN MAPLE HEIGHTS

My experience with Maple Heights government in trying to get public information, as well as public records, is not good. [see Aug 20th post] + [see Req. page]. 

UPDATE 2/6:

This is in response to a comment made on 2/3/2013

[I want you to look at the request pages and tell me if you think that Maple Heights public employees are cooperating.   They know I actually look at where the money goes, and to whom it goes; and I actually research and compare data, and ask questions that council won't ask, or won't research, or  make comparisons with  other cities (wages, cost of benefits,  staffing, expenditures, construction projects, sources of funding, race and discrimination).  And I don't believe everything that people tell me, because there are  public employees (especially politicians, and political appointees) in this world who lie, may alter documents, or violate federal, state and local laws and requirements, etc.; and I don't trust any politician or other public employee who refuses to be accountable. [This comment I won't retract]

If you receive a document/record from a Maple Heights public employee or the city of Maple Heights, it should be (in my opinion) signed by a Maple Heights public employee, or  have a city of Maple Heights official stamp or seal, or  city of Maple Hts official label (that can't be easily removed), or be on city of Maple Heights stationery.  Otherwise (in my opinion) the document/record means next to nothing, because you can't hold anyone accountable for its accuracy, or even that the document/record is authentic regardless if it came in a city of Maple Heights envelope.


There also are public employees (esp. in leadership roles) who will try to make you think everything is fine and dandy.  Maple Heights leadership it appears, won't reveal that there are far too many vacant homes in Maple Heights, or that there were over 550 home foreclosure filings in Maple Heights in 2012.  It appears they won't talk about the number of people still losing their homes or about to lose their homes, or while some (too many for me) of Maple Heights employees (when you add in benefits) make over $100,000 a year, there are many Maple Heights residents who are just trying to get by, or have lost their jobs.


Mr. Montello, the law director, said he couldn't find any affirmative action agreements entered into by the city of Maple Heights (even though I gave him a hint), but I found them and one of the chief negotiators for those agreements.  According to a Plain Dealer article, Mr. Montello can charge $95 an hour for research.  So I want to know how many hours he spent looking for those agreements, and how much did he bill us (his employers).  I believe it is a  public record.  (Received 2/10/2013 in my mail slot, letter dated 2/4/2013) Mr. Melling claims otherwise.  See his response on the request page.


Mr. Blair Melling, Maple Heights assistant law director, etc. says I can't ask for W-2s, however, I called the Ohio Attorney General's office and they referenced Appendix C:

Appendix C 1992-005: A copy of a federal tax form W-2 prepared and maintained by a township as an employer is subject to inspection as a public record. [Ohio Attorney General Opinions Interpreting Ohio's Public Records Act]

&

Today I came across another reference:
2007, State of Ohio, Office of the Attorney General - OPINION NO. 2007-026, see page 4



FOR ME, W2's ARE A RELIABLE WAY TO VERIFY THE WAGES OF A PUBLIC EMPLOYEE. ANYTHING WRITTEN ON A PLAIN PIECE OF PAPER IS ALWAYS SUSPECT.

Update 2/10/2013 - letter placed in my mail slot on Sunday, 2/10/2013, dated February 4, 2013:
Mr. Melling has since responded see letter in request section at the very bottom of that page.   & then read my response

I also understand that a great many people are frightened to speak up or ask questions, or dig deeper, because there are some public employees who will retaliate, or try to intimidate, or make you feel like you're a nobody (even though you are their employer). 


Do ask for  tapes of last year and 2011 council meetings. You'll hear how some public employees talk to the people who pay their salaries.  It's been alleged that the mayor once called the employer of a Maple Heights taxpayer (his employer) to complain that she was asking too many questions (I think the words used "harassing" public employees.)  The taxpayer wanted a public meeting to discuss the city's finances.  These public employees in my opinion, don't like for you to complain, or request,  or ask certain questions.  Speak up anyway, but better still, create an independent civilian review board. ]  


VERY IMPORTANT:




PLEASE  call the CALL AND POST, AND the NAACP (we'll let them know THAT I TOLD YOU TO CALL THEM) IF YOU FEEL HARASSED, INTIMIDATED, OR THREATENED IN ANY WAY BY ANY PUBLIC EMPLOYEE (ESP. A POLITICIAN IN A POSITION OF POWER)


PLEASE READ MY UPDATE dated 2/21/2013      HERE





There should be a real and sincere effort made by Maple Heights public employees (or any public employee) to view the people who pay their salaries, as their employers (which indeed they are), and to really understand what it means to be accountable, to then be accountable, and to wholeheartedly embrace an "open government".

 
Do you know any employer who would keep an employee who could not, or would not give the employer what he/she asked for (which they should have the answers to, or know where to obtain those answers); or could not or would not answer questions about or related to his job?

Do you know any employer who would keep an employee who is not respectful, or accountable for  his/her actions, activities, monies they were responsible for, or had numerous complaints, or did not understand what their role in the organization was,  or didn't have the right skill set,  or knowledge and experience  necessary to perform their job, or their job performance was less than adequate?

 

 

Unfortunately, (in my opinion) some of Maple Heights public employees (esp. some of those in leadership roles), don't grasp that they are indeed employees, are accountable, must answer questions (relative to their job) from their employers, and must act as if they were an employee of a private company. 

So, due to this lack of transparency,  and what I stated at the beginning of this post, and a lack of some public employees being accountable to the people who pay their salaries (again, my opinion), I recommend that an  Independent Civilian Review Board or Independent Board of Accountability be created.  I say independent because why would you let people who feel that they are not accountable, or refuse to answer questions, (or oversee   public employees who they've allowed to not answer questions),  choose members of the board.  That's insane. 

Therefore, how would one go about choosing members of the board?  My suggestion is by vote.  Each district would vote for two  people to serve on the board for two years.  Don't  allow any politician to corrupt the process by trying to put their people in the mix.


If a resident (employer)  had a problem with a public employee, or were having problems obtaining public information, or  had some other complaint, or needed other various kinds of assistance, they could go to the board.  If the board felt that a public employee was not being honest, was seriously violating the public trust, was not being accountable,  and  especially was unwilling to work with the board to resolve issues, they would publicly censure the employee, or request the resignation of  the employee (after a certain # of complaints, etc.)  or  seek  their recall (if the public employee was a politician).

One more thing .. All public employees (that includes politicians) should be required to attend a "sensitivity training" class.

E.S


 [To be further edited]

RELATED:

I changed the name of a post regarding Blair Melling because I received a letter stating Mr. Melling was not an employee.  When I looked at the February 4th letter again, and checked the 1/29/2013 email I sent to Ms. Unger, I noticed I wrote incorrectly "Brian Melling", which prompted the author  of the February 4, 2013 letter to state that they had no employee named Brian Melling: however, on 12/18/2012 I did make a similar request, and in that email, I spelled the name correctly. 
 

REQUESTS FOR MAPLE HEIGHTS GOVERNMENT PUBLIC RECORDS, AND PUBLIC INFORMATION


URBAN AFFAIRS AND PLANNING

Open for Comment, Your Feelings and Concerns about Maple Heights

Despite the fact that African Americans represent about 70% of approximately 23,100 residents, we are totally under-represented in Maple Heights government leadership positions, high salaried positions, etc.  [See Wikipedia, Demographics - last paragraph - 2010 stats and not 2000 stats]

Open for discussion:
Do you feel that you are respected by your Maple Heights government, and/or do you feel that as an African American resident, your ideas, rights, interests, concerns are ignored or dismissed?

Would you like to have a recreation center?

Do you feel you are taken seriously by this administration?

Do you feel safe in Maple Heights?  We've recently noticed a rise in burglaries in Maple Heights (most of us know of someone in Maple Hts who has been burglarized w/in the past 6 months).

If there is anything that is bothering you about Maple Heights ... jobs, this administration, the local police, your city schools, treatment of African Americans (esp. the young and elderly). 

Do you have any complaints?    Please let us know. 

You can remain anonymous.

If you haven't already signed our voting rights petition, please do so now:
Stop This City Council From Trampling on Our Voting Rights

or Martin Luther King Would Be Outraged and You Should Be Too!

or you can sign one of our paper petitions by emailing us.


We'll also be doing a poll in the near future, to find out what your concerns and priorities are.

[To be further edited]

Breaking News: Early Endorsements for Maple Heights City Council 2013

Breaking News from the Maple Heights African American Gazette:

The next Maple Heights City Council elections will be held November 2013, and the Maple Heights African American Gazette is supporting the following for council seats:


-

Dee Price, if she decides to run for the district 4 seat

Edwina Agee, unless Mrs. Neomia Mitchell decides to run again for the district 7 seat (if Mrs. Mitchell decides to run again, we will back her 100%)

At present, we will not be supporting Charles Crews Jr. as district 5's council person. Mr. Crews was appointed councilman to fill a vacancy created due to  the passing of an elected, but not sworn in official.  Mr. Crews' appointment should be a temporary appointment. 

Residents in District 5 want a special election to be held this year which will enable them to vote for their own council person (and not one picked by other members of council).  It is their constitutional right to vote for their own council person.