Council adopts ordinance withdrawing proposed change to Parks and Recreation appointments

Barberton City Council on Monday adopted an ordinance withdrawing a previously filed charter amendment that would have removed the mayor’s authority to appoint all five members of the Parks and Recreation Board. The motion to adopt ordinance 145-2025 to withdraw ordinance 114-2025 passed after a suspension of council rules and a roll-call vote at the regular legislative session.

The measure was presented to the council by Miss Gerhardt during a special Rules, Marketing and Development meeting earlier in the evening. Gerhardt moved to suspend the rules required by section 5.1 of the Barberton City Charter so the withdrawal could be considered immediately; Miss Beck seconded the motion and the suspension passed. Gerhardt then moved for adoption of ordinance 145-2025; Beck seconded the adoption motion and the ordinance passed.

The withdrawal was described in committee as being requested by the Law Director, Lisa Miller, because the proposed amendment conflicted with another recently enacted ordinance (listed in committee as ordinance 125-2025). Councilors voted to adopt the withdrawal on the same night the withdrawal request was presented, using emergency wording to expedite consideration.

No further amendments to charter section 6.03(a) were adopted at the meeting. Council members who supported the withdrawal characterized it as necessary to resolve a conflict between competing ordinances; the transcript records the procedural motions and passing votes but does not include sustained debate on policy merits.

The ordinance record shows the council used the suspension-of-rules process to treat the withdrawal as urgent and to adopt it in a single session. Council members noted two absences during the vote; the withdrawal motion carried by the affirmative votes recorded at roll call.